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THE 



ANNALS 

OF 

YOEKSHIRE, 

FEOM THE 

EARLIEST PERIOD 

TO THE PKESENT TIME. 

COiTPILED BY 



still on it creeps, 
Eacli little moment at another's heels, 
Till Hours, Days, Years, and Ages are made up 
Of such small parts as these, and men look back. 
Worn and bewildered, wond'ring how it is. 
Thou trav'llest like a Ship in the wide ocean, 
Which hath no bounding shore to mark its progress. 

Joanna BaiUie. 



LEEDS : 

PUBLISHED BY JOSEPH JOHNSON, ROTATION- 

OFFICE YARD, KIRKGATE. 

1862. 



-+2.r|j 



'o« 









THE library! 
|0f C ONGR ESS I 

IWASHmOTOIll 



IP E^EIF^OE. 



This volume contains in chronological order, the prin- 
cipal events that have occurred in Yorkshire, from the 
date of the most remote authentic histories, down to the 
present time. 

The events have been selected and condensed from every 
source of information within the reach of the compiler, 
and through the kindness of friends, several curious and 
interesting particulars are now published for the first 
time. 

Great care has been taken to avoid giving a party or 
political bias to the work, so that it will be found in- 
teresting to all classes of readers. 

The compiler feels grateful to Mr. Kemplay, for the 
loan of the Leeds Intelligencer from 1830 to 1834 inclusive, 
and to other gentlemen who have favoured him with books 
and manuscripts. 

Where so many subjects are treated upon, notwith- 
standing that the utmost attention has been paid to 
accuracy, mistakes will doubtless have been made ; but 
the compiler hopes for the reader's indulgence, and would 
state in palliation of faults, both of omission and com- 
mission, that besides the perusal of many works connected 
with the subjects introduced, he has had to wade through 
thirty years of local newspapers, (the Mercury and InteUi- 
gencer^) and that after the toil of the day, and in hours 
stolen from recreation, etc. 



The work is embellished with a few scarce engravings. 
The view of Leeds has been engraved from Thoresby's 
Ducatus Leodiensis, published in the year 1715. The 
beautiful view of Kirkstall Abbey, taken in 1769, has 
been copied from a scarce and valuable engraving in the 
possession of James Hargrave, Esq., of Burley, near 
Leeds, kindly lent by him for that purpose. The other 
views consist of York Minster, the Leeds old Moot Hall, 
the Parish Church before it was rebuilt, the Town Hall, 
the Crimean Monument recently erected in the Leeds 
Parish Church, and views of Skipton and Huddersfield. 

With these explanations the work is committed to the 
public, in the hope that it will receive that favour, of 
which the compiler and the publisher have endeavouxed 
to make it worthy. 



ANNALS 

OF 

AND THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT; 



CONTAINING, IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER, ALL THE MOST IN- 
TERESTING EVENTS, THAT HAVE OCCURRED IN, OR RE- 
LATE TO THIS IMPORTANT PART OF THE KINGDOM , FROM 
THE EARLIEST PERIOD TO THE PRESENT TIME; COL- 
LECTED FRO:\I THE WORKS OF NUMEROUS AUTHORS, 
NEWSPAPERS, &c., kc. 



EARLY history is necessarily involved in great obscurity. 
The memory of the human race extends back only to about 
3000 years from the present date, leaving an indefinite 
period before that, during the infancy of the species a 
total blank. Nor does the scriptural account of the crea- 
tion settle the point. As many as two hundred different 
calculations as to the age of our species have been founded, 
by different divines, on the statements of the sacred records, 
the discrepancy arising from theuncertaint}^ of those texts 
of the Old Testament in which numbers occur. The long- 
est of these calculations dates the creation of man at about 
8S00 years from the present time, or about 7000 years before 
the birth of Christ ; the shortest at about 5300 years from 
the present time, or 3o00 years before the birth of Christ; 
the system usually adopted by historians is that of Arch- 
bishop Usher, which fixes the event at B.C. -4-004, or 5S64 
years from the present date. 

1. 



2 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

B.C.1856.-45. 

1856. B.C. Memnon invented the letters of the alphabet 
— Prometheus first struck fire from flints. 

102L In this year antiquarians say that York, orMoracicm, 
was built by Abraucus, the son of Mempricius, a British 
king, who reigned about the time when David held the 
sceptre of Judea, and Gad, Nathan, and Asaph prophesied 
in Israel. The origin 6f York being involved in the ob- 
scurity of more than twenty centuries, various conjectures 
have been formed respecting its ancient name, which is 
generally believed to have been Caer-ebrauc ; though Hum- 
phre}'- Lhuyd, the learned Welsh antiquarian, says, Eboracum 
is well known to be the very same city that the Britons 
called Caer-Efftoc, and is now contracted into York. 

55. Julius Csesar, after having conquered Egypt, Asia, 
Spain, and France, sent no fewer than 800 vessels with his 
troops to invade Britain. The British Islands were at this 
time occupied by barbarous tribes, who lived exactly as 
the Indians now do, upon animals caught in hunting, and 
fruits which grew spontaneously. They stained and 
tattooed their bodies, and wore personal ornaments and 
trinkets made of iron. They had no religion, but a bloody 
idolatry called Druidism. 

45. Julius Ceesar, beiDg led by Sosigenes, an astronomer 
of his time, to believe that there was an error in the calen- 
dar of six hours in a year, (the year at this time was estima^ 
ted at exactly 365 days, no notice being taken of the extra 5h. 
48m. 49s.) ordained that six hours should be set aside for 
four jT^ears, and then added. This was done by doubling 
the 24th Feb ; and in order to commence aright the first 
year was to be called a ' year of confusipn,' made up of 15 
months, so as to cover the 90 days which had then been 
lost. (See 1582 and 1751.) 

" The towns of the Britons " says Caesar " were inac- 
cessible woods fortified by ditches and ramparts," thus, 
" forests served them for cities ; they cut down a number 
of trees to inclose a large circle, within which they erected 
huts and stalls for their cattle, which were not designed 
for continued use." A rampart of earth, aided by trees 
cut down for that purpose formed generally their whole 
defence, both from the warlike incursions of neighbouring 
tribes, and the attacks of the wild beasts, with which the 
country in these early times abounded. The Romans ex- 
perienced great difficulty in subduing the Britons ; but when 
the conquest was in a great measure completed, the country 
was governed in the usual manner of a Roman province ; 
and towns began to rise in the course of time, being gener- 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 3 

45.-A.D. 61. 

ally those whose names are now found to end in Chester ; 
as Manchester, Yv^inchester, (Sec, a termination derived from 
Castra, the latin word for camp. There was a Castrum 
or an entrenched camp at Leeds on the hill lying between 
Charles Street and High Street; then called "AYall-flatt." 
A Trajectus, or ford crossed the Aire, a short distance on 
the east side of the present old bridge. The Roman Roads 
•which intersected Yorkshire can occasionally be traced 
with considerable accuracy. There was first the road from 
Doncaster, through what is called Pontefract Park, to 
Castleford. to Tadcaster, and thence to York. Second : 
ihe road from Tadcaster, through Slack near Huddersfield, 
to Manchester, passed through Leeds in a line a little to 
the east of Briggate, and its line is traceable in the neigh- 
bourhood of Morley and Gildersome. (The word Street is 
derived from the latin word Stratum, which indicates the 
course of a Roman road, hence Gildersome-street, near 
Morley, and Street-lane, and Street-houses, on the moors 
near Shad well, indicate the course of a Roman road) Third: 
n road from Castleford, ran through Adel, towards Ilkley. 

44. Ten j-ears after the invasion of Britain by Julius 
Ceesar, Brutus and Cassius attacked and murdered him in 
the senate-house, at the foot of Pompey's statue in Rome. 

25. Coin was first used in Britain. 

Our Saviour Jesus Christ was born on Monday, Dec. 25, 
four years before the common era, and wias crucified on 
April 3rd, at 3 o'clock, p.m. A.D., 33. 
A.D. 

4. A Mint was erected at Colchester, where gold, silver, 
and copper coins were made; previous to which iron bullion 
was used. 

43. The Emperor Claudius sent a large army into Britain. 

49. London is said to have been founded by the Romans. 

50. Ostorius Scapula, the Roman general in England sent 
to Rome as a prisoner, a British prince called Caradoc, or 
Caractacus, v.^hose noble behaviour, moved Claudius to 
grant him his pardon. 

59. St. Peter and St. Paul were put to death about June 
29th, being in the same year that Linus was made first 
Bishop of Rome. 

6L In this year a Roman general Suetonius did much to 
reduce the Britons, by destroying the numerous Druidical 
temples in the isle of Anglesea. The Britons, taking ad- 
vantage of his absence, were all in arms, headed by Boa- 
dicea, queen of the Iceni, on whom and her fair daughters 
liad been committed the most nameless indignity , by certain 



4 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

61.-211. 

of the Eoman tribunes. Suetonius hastened to the protec- 
tion of London, which was now a flourishing Roman 
colony. Two fearful engagements followed. London was 
reduced to ashes; its inhabitants cruelly massacred; the 
Romans and others to the number of 70,000 were put to 
the sword without distinction ; while to avenge this cruelty- 
Suetonius waged a most decisive war in which 80,000 of 
the Britons perished, and Boadicea rather than fall into 
the hands of the enraged victor, put an end to her life by 
poison. 

78. Julius Agricola was advanced to the government of 
Britain in this year. He introduced the pleasures and 
luxuries of Rome, and was the first to sail round the island. 
He built aline of forts between the rivers Forth and Clyde, 
and defeated the Caledonians under Galgacus, on the Gram- 
pian hills. 

124. The Roman emperor Adrian came to England, and 
took up his statioa at York, which had been fortified by 
Agricola, and was now garrisoned by the Legio Sexta, Vie- 
trix, brought over from Rome, to assist in the conquest of 
Caledonia. York, which had been previously the seat of 
British kings, now became the occasional residence of 
Roman emperors. 

180. York was constituted a metropolitan see by king 
Lucius. 

208. The emperor Severus on hearing that the Britons 
had besieged York under Fulgenius, a Scythian general, 
immediately came over to Britain, accompanied by his two 
sons Caracalla and Geta, and his whole court. He was 
then sixty years old, and very infirm. Severus lived more 
than three years in the city, where he stamped upon his 
coin the title of Britannicus Maximus, as conqueror of 
Britain. During this time York shone in its full splendour. 

211. Severus died at York Feb. 5th, and on his death-bed 
called for an Urn, in which his ashes were to be deposited, 
after the Roman custom, and gazing steadfastly on it, he 
said, — " Thou shalt hold what the whole world could scarce- 
ly contain;" soon after speaking these emphatic words, he 
calmly breathed his last, after reigning sixteen years. A 
short nime before his death, the Caledonians again took up 
arms, and attacked the Roman garrisons on the borders, 
which threw the emperor into such unfeeling rage, that he 
sent out his legions, with orders to put every man, woman, 
and child amongst the insurgents to the sword; but before 
his bloody purpose could be fully executed, death overtook 
him, and his funeral obsequies were celebrated at a short 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 5 

2I1.-326. 

distance from the city, near the three large tumuli, at Hold- 
gate, which still bear the name of Severus's Hills. His 
body, habited in his general's costume, was brought otit 
in military array, and laid on a raagniiicent pile, which Avas 
lighted by his sons ; and his remains, after being reduced to 
ashes, were placed in an urn of porphyry, to be carried to 
Eome, where they were deposited in the monument of the 
Antonines, and the extraordinary ceremony of deification 
■was conferred upon the deceased emperor, to whose mem- 
ory Drake says the three hills near York were raised by 
lis grateful army. 

212. York became the scene of the most inhuman cruel- 
ties, committed by Caraca]la, who, perceiving that Geta 
had a powerful party in the army, ordered 20,000 soldiers 
to be put to death, under a pretence of mutiny; and mur- 
dered his brother Geta with his own hands, in the arms of 
Ms mother. 

272. Constantine the, Greojt, born at York, travelled into 
Asia Minor, whence he returned on hearing of his father's 
illness, and arrived at the imperial palace at York, in time 
to embrace Constantius, his father, who, in 307, appointed 
Tiim his successor. Upon the demise of Constantius, the 
Koraan army in York invested Constantine with the im- 
perial purple, and York, being at this period in the zenith 
of its splendour, was thence called Altera Roma, and 
Britain remained tranquil under the mild influence of Con- 
stantine's pacific sway. After dividing his extensive 
dominions into four prefectures, he removed the seat of 
government from Rome to Byzantium, from which period 
may be dated the decline of the Roman power in Britain, 
and the consequent decay of York. Constantine died in 
337: Camden says this emperor built the walls of London. 

287. Carausius, who had been sent with a fleet to guard 
the Belgic coast, passed over into Britain, and was pro- 
claimed emperor at York: he entered into a league with 
the Picts and Scots, by whose assistance he overcame 
Quintus Bassianus a Roman lieutenant, whom Dioclesian 
sent from Rome to dis-possess Carausius, who, it is believed 
was slain at York by his friend Alectus. 

29S. Constantius Chlorus ordered his ruined fortresses, 
&;c., on the Rhine, to be repaired by British artificers, 
Tvhom he considered superior to the Gauls. 

326, Octavius, king of the Britons, rebelling against the 
Komans, was demanded by the Roman general to be given 
up as a rebel, but he, courting the assistance oi' Fincomark, 
'king of Scotland, gave battle to the Romans, v/ho were 



6 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

326.-515. 

defeated. The city of York was taken by the Scots, and 

Octa\aus was there crowned king of All Britain. 

347. The Bishops of York and London attended the 
Council of Aries. 

440. At this time the Romans could no longer defend 
their own native country against the nations in the north 
of Europe. They withdrew their soldiers and left the 
people to govern themselves. As soon as the Romans had 
left, the Caledonians from the north, poured in upon the 
Britons, and despoiled them of their lives and goods. The 
Britons called in as protectors, the Saxons, a warlike people 
who lived in the north of Germany, and the Jutes and 
Angles who inhabited Denmark. In the year 450 the Saxons 
landed in the isle of Thanet to the number of 1,600 men, 
and did at first protect, and tight for the Britons. Having 
once however acquired a footing in the island they threw 
off the mask, and proceeded to make it an object of con- 
quest. They drove the Britons into Wales. In course of 
time so completely was the population changed and saxon- 
ised, that, excepting in the names of some of the hills and 
rivers, the British language was extinguished, and even 
the name of the country was altered to Angle-land, or 
England, a term taken from the Angles. 

448. York at this period partook largely in the vicissitudes 
to which the island was exposed. The Picts and the Scots, 
the Saxons and the Danes, each in succession, erected 
their standards before its gate; yet still it was the seat 
of trade and letters. 

458. A great storm was experienced at York, which blew 
down several houses, and killed many persons. 

466. Hengist was slain at Conisbrough by the Britons, 
under their king Ambrosius, who summoned all the princes 
and nobility to appear at York. Octa and Eosa, the two 
sons of Hengist, surrendered to the victor, but in 490, when 
Uter succeeded his brother Ambrosius; they revolted, and 
invested York, where the British king defeated them. The 
Christian church, which had been suppressed by the Saxons, 
was restored by Ambrosius before his death. 

485. Vortigern being pursued by Ambrosius as an enemy 
to his country fled to a castle in Wales, where he was 
besieged; the castle took fire and was burnt to the ground, 
and the unliappy Vortigern perished in the flames. 

508. Gregory the Great sent Augustine with forty mis- 
sionaries into Kent, to convert the people to Christianity. 

515. This winter was so intensely cold, that the wildest 
birds allowed themselves to be taken by the hand. 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 7 

The following places, so familiar to the people of Leeds, 
are mostly derived from the language of our Anglo-Saxon 
ancestors. Leeds is supposed by Thoresby to be derived 
from the British cair loidcoi^, a town in the wood; by Bede 
from the first Saxon possessor nsucned Loidi, others suppose 
ii; to be derived from our German ancestors, as there is a 
town called Leeds, on the river Dender in Austria Flanders, 
near which is the village of Holbeck. Briggate, the Bridge- 
gate, — Kirkgate, the Church- gate, — Swinegate, so called 
from leading to a beck or stream wl.ere those animals were 
washed. Boar-lane had probably a similar derivation. 

Allerton Aider, a tree, and to7i town. 

Armley Ann or Or;«, a prnper name, and ley, field. 

Beeston Bede, a proper name, and io7i, town. 

BriAMLEY Bram or Brambh, a wild shrub^ and leij, field. 

BuRLEY Etir, a tree, and leij, field. 

CoLDCOATES Cold, and cotes, hoir-^es. 

CoTTiNGLEY Cot, house, ing-, meadow, and ley, field. 

Farnley Fer7i, a wild plant, and ley, field. 

Farsley Furze, a wild plant, and ley, fi^eld. 

Gledhow Gled, hawk, and how, hill. 

GiproN Gz}>, a proper name, and ^o;«, town. 

HfiADiNftLEY Heath, moor, ing, meadow, and ley, field. 

, Holbeck Hoi, a low place, and beck, stream. 

HuNSLET Hnuivle, hound, and leet, a meeting. 

Kirkstall Kirk, church, and stall, place. 

Knowsthorpe Knowl, tbe brow of a hill, and iJiorpe, village. 

Meakwood Mense, m comn\oxi,-M\(\ wood. 

OsMUNDTHORPE _- Osmuiid, a proper name, and tJiorpc, village. 
PoTTERNEWTON __ Neiv-toini, near the potte/'y, 

KoDLEY Bocd, K crotis, dind ley, field. 

Skeltox *S'^'e/, water, and /on, town. 

Stanningley Stan, stone, i?ig; meadow, and ley, field. 

SvriNNow S!ci?i, swine, and /iohj, hill. 

"Weetwood JFee^, wet, or marshy, and ?(;oor/. 

"VVortley Wort, a wild plant, and ley, field. 

At a place in Armley formerh'- called G-iant's-hill, was an 
extensive earthwork described by Thoresby as being thrown 
Tip and used by the Danes, as a fort, or place of security, 
w^hence they might issue at leisure to lay waste and 
plunder the suvrounding country. It must have been a 
very strong and advantageous post, the northern side 
thereof being defended by a high and precipitous hill, at 
the foot of which ran the river Aire; like the other camps 
of this people, it was of circular form, measuring twenty 
perches in circumference; the rampart being about eighteen 
or twentv feet high. 



8 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

^16.-627. 

516. The computing of time by the Christian eera, was 
in use at this time, and was applied to historical events 
in 784. 

520. King- Arthur, the most celebrated of all the British 
monarchs, expelled the Saxons from York, and almost from 
the kingdom, by the sanguinary battle of Baden Hills, (521) 
in which 90,000 of the enemy were slain. Being deter- 
mined to destroy the ancient seat of enmity, he prepared 
for an expedition against Scotland, but was disuadedfrom 
his purpose by the bishops, who represented to him that 
the Scots had just received the gospel, and that in the true 
spirit of religion which he professed, " Christians ought 
not to spill the blood of Christians." This great monarch 
and his clergy, with the nobility and the soldiers, kept 
their Christmas at York, being the first festival of the kind 
■ever celebrated in Britain. Arthur was slain by the hands 
of his own nephew, in 5^42 ; and the Saxons soon afterwards 
prevailed. 

547. Ida and Ella, two Anglo-Saxons, having landed at 
Plamborough, and subdued the Britons, the former assumed 
the sovereignty of JBernicia, extending from the Tyne to 
Edinburgh Frith; and the latter became king of Ddri, of 
which York was the capital, as it was afterwards of Nor - 
ihumhria, which included all the six northern counties of 
England, and formed the largest of the seven kingdoms of 
the Saxon Heptarchy, and received, during the reign of 
Edwin, tribute from the rest. 

593. Ethelfrid, having ascended the Bernician throne, 
expelled his infant brother-in-law Edwin from Deiri, and 
became the first king of Northumberland, which, however, 
was several times divided under two petty monarchs, and 
as often united under one. 

620. In this year Barwick-in-Elmet, near Leeds, was 
ruled by a British king named Cereticus, and was con- 
quered by Edwin, king of Northumbria. 

627. A small oratory of wood was erected on the site of 
the present cathedral at York, and dedicated to St. Peter. 
On Easter day, in the same year, Edwin, king of Northum- 
bria, with his two sons and a number of nobles, were 
solemnly baptized in that primitive Christian place of 
worship which soon gave place to a more magnificent fabric, 
■under the auspices of the newly converted monarch, who 
had previously raised Paulinus, a Roman missionary, to the 
■dignity of archbishop of York. In the same year, this 
Paulinus (commonly called the Northumbrian apostle) erect- 
ed a cross as a point of assembly for divine worship at 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 9 

■633.-655. 

Dewsbury. A fac-simile of this cross bears the inscription 
"" Pai'lihvs liic prcedicaint, et celehravit " 

633, Edwin, king of Northumbria, slain in a most san- 
guinary battle, fought against Penda, king of Mercia, and 
Cadwallader, the British king of Wales, at the village, of 
Hatfield, seven miles from Doncaster. His head was buried 
in the porch of his own church of St. Gregory at York, but 
the rest of his remains were deposited in the monastery at 
\Yhitby. 

634. After Edwin and his only son were slain, near Don- 
caster, the victors ravaged Yorkshire, in a most dreadful 
manner. Osric, one of the nearest relations of Edwin, 
immediately ventured to besiege York, then in possession 
of Cadwallader, the Welsh king : who, sallying out defeated 
his forces and slew Osric. Eanfrid, Osric's brother, hast- 
ened to York, to treat for peace ; instead of obtaining 
which, he was cruelly and treacherously put to death by 
Cadwallader, who himself died in this year. — During the 
reign of Edwin, he ordered stakes to be fixed on the high- 
^v%ays, where he had seen clear springs, and brazen dishes 
were chained to them, to refresh the thirsty traveller. 

642. After Penda had slain Oswald, king ot Northumbria, 
he marched his army northward, and besides committing 
other spoliation, almost destroyed the newly erected cathe- 
dral of York. 

655. The hoary-headed Fenda, king of Merciu, who had 
so long evinced the most inveterate enmity against the 
Northnnibrians, hastened (in the eightieth year of his age) 
with his veterans against Oswy, who now held the sover- 
eignty of Bernicia, as he did afterwards of the rest of 
Northumbria, called Deiri. To meet this pagan foe, who, 
on the verge of the grave, continued to court the smiles of 
Woden, Oswy advanced with his warriors to Winmoor, 
near Seacroft, in the neighbourhood of Leeds, where the 
two armies engaged in bloody coniiict, in which the Nor- 
thumbrian Christians defeated and nearly destroyed the 
Pagans, %vho were much more numerous than themselves, 
and left the haughty Penda with thirty of his officers dead 
on the field. The conquering Oswy, pursuing his victorious 
career, subdued thekingdom of Mercia, andhavingprevailed 
with Peada, the son of Penda, to become a Christian, he 
gave him the government of the southern part of Mercia, 
boundedby the Trent, but he "w'assoon afterwards murdered 
ty his wife, and the Mercians, revolting, threw off the 
Northumbrian yoke. Before the battle of Winmoor, Osweo, 
or Osv/y, made a vow, that if he gained the battle, and 



10 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 
€55.-741. 

became victorious, bis infant daughter should be consecrated 
to religious duties, and lead a life of celibacy. She was 
committed to the care of St. Hilda, Abbess of Whitby, whom 
she succeeded. 

664. On the dealh of Aldewald, king of Deiri, Osv/y be- 
came sole monarch of Northumbria, over which he reigned 
till his death in 6/0. 

665. Venerable Bede, (of Jarrow,) the historian, born. 
He mentions Leeds, styling it " Loidis." 

674. The art of glass -mahing, and a taste for ecclesiastical 
magnificence was introduced into Northumbria, by Benedict 
Biscop, who built Wearmouth Abbey, with stone, after the 
Eoman style of architecture, having brought workmen from 
the continent for that purpose. York Cathedral, which had 
been nearly destroyed by Penda, was now restored by Arch- 
bishop Wilfrid. 

679. Egfrid, who had now become king of all Northum- 
bria, in which the county of York was included, endeav- 
oured to preserve and enlarge his dominions. He repulsed 
with great slaughter an invasion of the Picts, and in the 
same year invaded Mercia. An action took place on the 
banks of the Trent, but the interposition of Theodoras, 
archbishop of York, prevented the further effusion of blood. 

700. In this year there was no fewer than fifteen kings or 
chiefs within the island, while Ireland was nearly in the 
.same situation. 

709. Died Wilfrid, archbishop of York. He was of an 
obscure familj^, but possessed great genius ; was the 3rd 
ardhbishop of that Province, succeeding Chadda in 669. 
He resigned the mitre in 678, but was restored in 686, after 
which he was expelled in 69S. He founded Ripon monastery, 

where he was buried. Jna, king of Wessex, published 

about this time his laws of the Saxons, soon after which he 
laid on the tax of " Peter Pence" for the support of a college 
at Rome. 

731. Alcuinus, who was keeper of the noble library at 
York, founded by Archbishop Egbert, speaks of it in several 
of his letters, as one of the most choice and valuable col- 
lections of books then in the world. "Oh! that I had," 
says he in a letter to the emperor Charlemagne, " the use 
of those admirable books on all parts of learning, which 
I enjoyed in my native country, collected by the industry 
of my beloved master Egbert." 

741. YorJc Cathedral suffered so much by fire this year, 
that Archbishop Egbert, assisted by Albert, a learned native, 
took it entirely down. Albert, who was promoted to the 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 11 

741.-867. 

see in 767, assisted by Alcuinus, Egbert's librarian, and 
Eanbald, who succeeded Albert, rebuilt it in the most 
magnificent style. 

7o9. Eadbert, king of Northumbria, having, since he 
ascended the throne in 737, roused his subjects from their 
lethargic stupor, quelled their petty factions, and subdued. 
their enemies, resigned his sceptre to his son Os^yulfe, and 
retired to a monastery at York; thus, like seven of his 
predecessors, resigning the crown for the cowl. His son 
was slain in the first year of his reign; for some time after 
which, Northumbria was agitated with factions, usurpers, 

and dissolute monarchs. A dreadful fire broke out 

at Doncaster, by which not only the castle, but the whole 
town was reduced to ashes. The castle was never after 
re-built. 

781. Nov. 8. Died Albert, archbishop of York, ten days 
after the consecration of the Cathedral, which he was the 
principal means of re-building. He also added greatly to 
the valuable library that Egbert had founded, especially 
such books as he had procured in his travels abroad in his 
younger days. 

792. Ethelred,whose vicious and treacherous propensities 
had driven him from the throne in the 5th year of his reign, 
now returned from his twelve 3'ears' exile, and being again 
invested with the sceptre of Northumbria by the voice of 
the people, he decoyed the two children of Alfwold from 
the sanctuary at York, and murdered them to prevent their 
setting up any claim to the throne, which during his exile 
had been some time occupied by their father, who was 
treacherously killed by Siga, a nobleman retained about 
his person. 

800. The Saxon Heptarchy, (or seven kingdoms) pre- 
vailed from oSo to SOO, when Egbert king of WesseXy. 
acquired a paramount influence over the other states, which 
he reduced to one common jurisdiction, and became the 
first king of England, to the throne of which his descen- 
dants succeeded in the male, line to Edward the Confessor. 

854. St. Swithin (the weeping saint) Bishop of Winches- 
ter, and an English martyr, died this year. 

867. A dreadful battle fought near York, between Osbert, 
who had been raised to the throne of Northumbria, and 
the two Danish generals and brothers, Hinguar and Hubba, 
which terminated in favour of the invaders — Osbert being 
slain in the retreat with a great number of men. Asser- 
Menevensis thus describes the sufferings of the inhabitants 
of York on this occasion : — " By the general's cruel orders 



12 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 
867-936. 

they knocked down all the boys, young and old men, they 
met with in the city, and cut their throats. Matrons and 
virgins were ravished at pleasure. The husband and wife, 
either dead or dying, were tossed together; the infant, 
snatched from its mother's breast, was carried to the 
threshold, and there left butchered at its parent's door, 
to make the general outcry more hideous." 

871. Alfred the grandson of Egbert began foreign in this 
year. At this time the Danes, a nation of pirates and hea- 
thens committed such dreadful ravages on the shores of 
Britain, that for some time they completely overturned the 
sovereignty of Alfred and he was compelledto live in obscu- 
rity in the centre of a marsh. He at length regained the 
greater part of his kingdom, and spent the rest of his life 
in literary study, of which he was very fond, and in form- 
ing laws and regulations for the good of his people. He 
was an excellent historian, understood music, and acknow- 
ledged to be the best Saxon poet of the age, leaving many 
works behind hira. He was perhaps, the most able, most 
virtuous, and most popular prince that ever reigned in 
Britain ; and all this is the more surprising when we find 
that his predecessors and successors for many ages were 
extremely cruel, and ignorant. He died in the year 901, 
in the 53rd year of his age. 

872. The Danes in their ravaging excursions, fired the 

city of York The first mention of Clocks occurs 

at this period. Sun dials had been in use long before. 

936. iS^ing Athelstan, on his expedition to Scotland, visited 
York, where he requested the benefit of devo-ut prayers 
from the citizens on his behalf, promising that if he succeeded 
well therein he wauld abundantly recompense them. He 
did succeed — returned to York, and in the minster oflTered 
thanks to God and St. Peter. He also granted to God, St. 
Peter, and a fraternity called Colledei, and their successors, 
for ever, one thrave of corn out of every caracute of land, 
or every ploughing within the bishopric of York. He also 
gave tliem a piece of waste ground, which, with the income 
of corn, called Peter com, enabled them to found for them- 
selves an hospital in the city. William the Conqueror con- 
ifirmed the thraves to them; "William Rufus removed the 
site of the hospital into the precincts of the royal palace, 
and built them a small church ; Henry I. granted to them 
the enlargement of the close in which their house was 
situated ; confirmed to the hospital certain lands ; freed 
them from gelds and customs, and granted to them many 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 13 

936.-1002. 

other privileges, besides taking to himself the name of a 
brother and warden of this hospital, 

937. Anlaff, a Dane, entered the Humber with a fleet of 
615 sail, whilst Athelstan was absent; he landed his forces 
and marched to York before the king was advised of this 
invasion. On hearing that Athelstan was approaching the 
city, the confederate princes, Irish, Scotch, and Welsh, 
went out to meet him, when a bloody engagement took 
place at Bromford, where the king gained a complete victory, 
slaying Constantino, king of Scotland, six petty kings of 
Ireland and Wales, and twelve general officers ; and destroy- 
ed their whole army. He then proceeded to York, and razed 
the castle to the ground, in order to prevent future rebellion. 

948. King Edred destroyed Kipon by a general conflag- 
ration. 

955. Dec. 26. Died Wulstan, archbishop of York, who, 
for espousing the cause of Anlaff, the Danish king of North- 
umbria, against Edred, the king of England, was by him 
committed to prison, but was soon released and restored 
to his office, 

981. London was burnt down by accident. 

991. This year the winter continued so long, and with 
such intensity, that vegetation was suspended or totally 
destroyed by the frost. The crops failed on the continent, 
as well as in England, and famine and pestilence closed 

the year. The figures in Arithmetic brought into 

Europe by the Saracens from Arabia. 

1000. Early in the beginning of the 11th century, Seleth 
the shepherd, wandered from the south, pursuant to his 
visions, and fixed his hermitage at Kirkstall, where an 
Abbey was afterwards built. 

1002. November 13th was the day on which king Ethelred 
II. secretly ordered all the Danes to be massacred, and 
great was the slaughter committed in the southern parts 
of England; but in Northumbria the Danes were too 
numerously intermingled with the Saxons to be sentenced 
to assassination, and the detestable act so' much inflamed 
them, that in a little time the Anglo-Saxons became the 
sport of their indignant enemies, and in 1010 Sweyn, king 
of Denmark, successfully undertook the conquest of Eng- 
land with a powerful army, which, after lying in camp on 
the banks of the Ouse, was engaged near York by the 
English, strengthened by a number of Scots. The battle 
was bloody and well contested, but victory declared for 
the Danes, and subsequently Ethelred with a few of his 
followers seized a boat and fled to Normandy, leaving his 



14 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1002.-1066. 

crown and kingdom to the conquerors. The Danish viceroys, 

or Comites Northumbrioe, fixed their residence at York, 

where their sovereigns occasionally dwelt amonst them, 

till 1041, when the Saxons again succeeded to the throne, 

but were soon afterwards dispossessed by the Normans. 

1005. All the old churches were re-built about this time 
in a "new style" of architecture. 

1015. Children were forbidden by law to be sold by their 
parents in England. 

1060. Dec. 22. Died Kinsius, archbishop of York. He 
was a man of such austere habits that, for the most part, 
he walked bare-foot in his visitations. 

1065. Jan. 5th. Died Edward the Confessor, He col- 
lected the laws made by his predecessors into one code, and 
called it the Common Law of England. 

1066. Harfager, king of Norway, at the instance of Tosti, 
Earl of Northumberland, entered the Humber with a nu- 
merous army, and sailed up the river as far as Riccall, 
within ten miles of York, which city they took by storm 
after a battle fought at Fulford. On the 23rd September, 
Harold, king of England, with a strong body of forces, met the 
invaders at Stamford Bridge where Tosti and the Norwe- 
gian king were both slain; but Harold did not long enjoy 
his triumph, for, on the following day he was informed by 
an express, as he sat instate at a magnificent entertainment 
in York, that William, Duke of Normandy, (whom Edward, 
the late king, had nominated as his successor) had landed 
at Pevensey, in Sussex. Harold immediately marched to. 
meet the invaders, whom he encountered at Hastings, on 
the 14th of October, when he lost both his life and his crown, 
with 60,000 men. One of the chroniclers of the Norman 
conquest, says, that weapons of stone were used by some of 
the x4nglo-Saxon troops at the battle of Hastings. 

Numerous nide implements of various kinds have from time to time 
been discovered at Flambro', Bridlington, and other places, clearly 
belonging to this period of English history. They are made of chipped 
flint, among which the most common are arrow-heads, and heads of 
spears or javelins, knives, chisels, &c., fish-hooks, so delicately 
formed that we cannot but feel astonished at the labour it must have 
required to chip them out of a piece of flint. 

William the Conqueror, having established himself on the 
throne, dispossessed the English of their estates and offices 
of trust, and gave them to his numerous followers. The bar- 
ony of Pontefract he gave to Ilbert de Laci, who built Ponte- 
fract castle. After so great an agitation as that produced by 
the Norman conquest, some years necessarily elapsed before 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 15 

1066.-1081. 

the country could be restored to harmony ; and the inhabit- 
ants of the north of England, still cherishing their wonted 
spirit of independence and liberty, were amongst the last 
to bow their neck^; to the Norman yoke; a violent struggle 
was made against the proud Conqueror, and York was the 
rallj'-ing point of the patriot army, but in 1067, William 
marched into that city, and garrisoned it with Norman 
soldiers, the Saxon nobles having fled into Scotland, where 
they were joined by king Malcolm, as they were also by 
the Danes in 1069, when they with their allies attacked 
York, v/here they put 3,000 Normans to the sword. Though 
William soon arrived before the city, and bribed the Danes 
to leave the country, the English gallantly defended the 
city about six months, and were only compelled by famine 
to surrender under stipulations M'hich the Conqueror im- 
mediately violated, and butchered nearl}^ all the nobility 
and gentry, and laid waste all the country from York to 
Durham. The inhabitants set fire to the suburbs, and the 
flames extended to the city and cathedral, and involved ail 
in one common ruin. The valiant Waltheof, Earl of Nor- 
thumberland, and governor of York, suffered by the hands 
of the executioner, and is mentioned as the first eyample 
of beheading in England. Those of the inhabitants, who 
now escaped the edge of the sword, were reserved for a 
more deplorable fate, being hunted by the Normans, and 
" obliged to eat horses, dogs, cats, and even their own 
species, to preserve their miserable lives." Aldred, the 
last Saxon archbishop of York, performed the religious 
ceremony at the coronation of William the Conqueror, and 
is said to have retained his rank b}'- bribes. 

1070. Henry the I., the youngest son of William the 
Conqueror, was born at Selby. He was crowned by Maurice, 
bishop of London, at Westminster, Aug. 5th, 1100. 

Knaresboroughcastle wasfoundedby Serlo deEurgh,who 
came into England with the Conqueror. He was succeeded 
in his possessions by Eustace Eitz John, the great favourite 
of Henry I. 

lOSO. Leeds, Holbeck, and Woodhouse were given by the 
Conqueror to Ilbert de Laci. Leeds was then only a farm- 
ing village, with an estimated population of somewhat less 
than 300, and not more than 900 in the whole parish, 
including a priest, a church, and a mill. 

The circumference of the borough of Leeds is 32 miles 
and one furlong, and its superficial contents are 21,470 
acres and nine perches. 

1081. The Doomsday Book, containing an exact account 



16 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1081. 

of all the landed property in England, was now finished 

after a labour of six years. 

The Castle of Leeds.— It is probable that the Castle 
of Leeds was erected about this time by the De Lacies of 
Pontefract. It occupied the site at present surrounded by 
Mill-hill, Bishopgate, and the western part of Boar-lane. 
It was in all probability surrounded by a moat, and an ex- 
tensive park, as we may gather from the names Park-row, 
Park-square, &c. — 

In excavating for the foundations of the warehouses on the south 
side of West-bar, (in 1836), the workmen employed by J. Kendall, Esq., 
discovered the remains of the Castle Moat. It appeared to have had 
a semicircular form, and to have terminated in the Mill Goit, extending 
considerably on each side of Scarborough's Hotel, on which site the 
castle is supposed to have stood. 

A tower also stood near Lydgate, in Woodhouse-lane, 
called Tower Hill; which was probably connected with 
the castle; but not a vestige of either fabric remains. 

The Leeds Parish Church, (St. Peter's), is mentioned 
in Doomsday Book, and was therefore in existence at a 
very early period. 

On taking down the old Parish Church of Leeds, in 1838, a most 
interesting discovery was made of several sculptured stone Crosses of 
the Anglo-Saxon period. The largest cross was thirteen feet in height; 
the others were less, and broken into fragments. One of the crosses 
contained in Runic characters the name of a king. The inscription 
was Cuni 07ilaf: that is, king Onlaf Onlaf the Dane entered the 
Humber in 93/, and subsequently became king of Northumbria, and 
a christian. His residence was probably the "Villa Regia" at Osraund- 
thorpe, and this cross was no doubt erected to his memory in the ceme- 
tery of the Leeds Parish Church, about the year 950. Ancient frag- 
ments were discovered of the Norman Church of Leeds; not the one 
mentioned in the Doomsday Survey, but the church renewed about the 
latter end of the 11th, or the commencement of the 12th century. 
Behind the altar piece was a mural monument to the memory of a 
family named Hardewycke, of the 16th century, and in taking up the 
floor under the communion table, a tablet was found in excellent pre- 
servation, containing a brass plate inscribed to the memory of Thomas 
Darrell, Vicar of Leeds, who was a benefactor to the church and died 
in 1469. On taking up the floor of the choir, a fine efBgy was discovered 
in chain mail with plate knee caps, sword and shield, beautifully 
carved in limestone, the coat of arras or qnarterings of the shield 
denoting the knight to have been of the family of Stainton or Steynton. 
The legs had been broken off close under the knee. This effigy is 
cross-legged, and cannot be later than Edward the II 's time, or about 
the year 1300. In the succeeding reign, Elizabeth Stainton was 
prioress of Kirkstall, and probably of the same family. 

The Chapel at Holbeck was probably founded about 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 17 

lOSl.-llOS. 

the same period. It was given by Ralph Paganel, along 
with the Church at Leeds, to the priory of the Holy Trinity 
at York. It is now demolished, but the site is shown by a 
stone obelisk in the burial ground attached to the new 
erection. 

The Chapel of St. Helen at Holbeck, is supposed to have 
stood near to Sheepbridge, with which, and a medicinal 
well, formerl}' in the neighbourhood, it may have been 
connected, but no remains exist. 

The Chapel of St. Mary the Virgin, at Beeston, is believed 
to have been erected at a very early period. It has been 
rebuilt, and its only remains of antiquity, are : — the east 
window, apparently of the time of Henry III., surmounted 
by the crowned monogram of the virgin, and some frag- 
ments of stained glass, consisting of a head of our Saviour, 
and another of the virgin, a mutilated figure of a saint, 
and the arms of the families of Beeston, Mauleverer, and 
Nevile, all of which are also much mutilated. 

loss. William Rufus commenced the building of St. Mary's 
Abbey, in York, Avhich was afterwards destroyed by lire, 
and rebuilt from 1270 to 1292, by Simon de Warwick, the 
Abbot. 

1089. The advowson of the Church of Leeds and the 
Chapel of Holbeck, was given to the Priory of Holy Trinity 
at York, by Ralph Paganell, who was a follower of William 
the Conqueror. 

1090. SMpton Castle, built by Robert de Romille, who 
also founded the original church, dedicated to the Holy 
Trinity. In the civil wars, this place was garrisoned for 
king Charles I., the command devolving on Sir John Mai- 
lory, of Studley. It was surrendered December 20th, 1645, 
having held out longer than any other castle in the north 
of England. The castle chapel was in existence subse- 
quent to the death of Thomas, Earl of Thanet. The Clifford 
family have, with only one exception of attainder, held 
the barony 500 years. 

1098. The river Aire was made navigable this year at 
Kirkstall Bridge. 

1100. Nov. IS. Died Thomas, archbishop of York. He 
was a Norman by birth, and succeeded Aldred, the last of 
the Saxon race of archbishops of that diocese. Thomas 
died at Ripon, but was interred at York minster. It was 
during the time he held this see, that the long contested 
point, whether the see of Canterbury or York should have 
pre-eminence, was determined in favour of the former. 

1108. May 21. Died Gerrard, archbishop of Y''ork, who 



18 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1108.-1137. 

was interred in the minster. He sustained the dignity 

eight years, part of which time, he, like Thurston and 

Thomas, the Norman, refused obedience to Canterbury. 

1115. Henry \st, the third son of the Conqueror gave the 
manors of Conisburgh, Thornes, and Wakefield, and the 
lordship of Normanton, to William de Placitis, Earl of 
Warren and Surrey. 

1118. The Order of Knights Templars instituted — ex- 
tinguished March 22nd, 1312. 

1120. About this date the lordship of Bingley was pos- 
sessed by W. Paganell, founder of the Priory of Drax; his 
successors were the Gaunts, one of whom obtained a 
charter for a market from king John, in the twelfth year 
of that monarch's reign. In the time of Dodsworth,(1621), 
there was a park at Bingley, and a castle near the church 
at Bailey -hill, of which little more than the name and 
tradition now remain. The church dedicated to All Saints 
or All Souls, was re-built Temp. Henry VIII. The free 
grammar school was founded 20th of the same reign, and 
is now of the annual value of £400. By a decree of the 
Lord Chancellor in 1820, it was determined that the learned 
languages should be taught at the free grammar school, for 
the benefit of the children of the parish of Bingley. 

1 121. Embsaij Priory., afterwards removed to Bolton, 
where it is still magnificent in ruins, was this year founded 
by William de Meschiens and his wife Cecilia de Romille, 
baroness of Skipton. Its original site was near the place 
called the Strid, where their son had been drowned in the 
river Wharfe. 

1126. About this period died Alured of Beverley, a cele- 
brated divine and historian — he wrote '■'■ The AnnaW'* of 
the British, Saxon, and Norman eras. 

1132. Fountains Abbey, in Studley Park, near Ripon, was 
built, and spread, with its appendages, over 12 acres of 
ground, two of which are occupied by the present magnifi- 
cent and picturesque ruins. It was surrendered in 1537. 

1133. Eustace Fitz John sent a basket of bread from 
Knaresborough castle, when the monks of Fountains Abbey 
were in distress for want of food. 

1137- A casual fire broke out in the city of York, and 
burnt down the cathedral, St. Mary's Abbey, and forty 
churches. This dreadful fire was scarcely extinguished, 
when the Scots under David their king, entered England, 
in support of his niece Matilda, and laid the country waste 
to the very gates of York. Thurstan, archbishop of York, 
assembled the neighbouring barons, and promised the ab- 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 19 

1137.-1147. 

solution of sins to all who should fall in the war against 
these invaders. A tall mast, having at the top a pix and a 
cross, from which Avere suspended the banners of St. Peter, 
St. John of Beverley, and St. Wilfred, was fixed in a huge 
chariot, and taken into the field of battle, which so excited 
the soldiers, that the enemy was totally routed with the 
loss of 10,000 men. This was the celebrated Battle of the 
Standard, fought Aug. 23rd, 113S, on Cowton moor, near 
Northallerton, the place is still called Standard Hill, and 
the holes in which the dead were thrown, the Scots Pits. 

1139. Feb. 5th. Died at Pontefract, where he had retired 
in his old age, Thurston, archUshop of York, which elevated 
station he filled twenty years. He was inflexible in not 
submitting to the archbishop of Canterbury, and was buried 
at Pontefract. In this year Leeds castle was be- 
sieged and taken by king Stephen, in his march against the 
Scots. 

1140. Adel church is supposed to have been erected about 
this time. It is a most interesting and venerable structure 
of Norman design, and one of the most perfect specimens of 
the kind in the kingdom. The south door-way is highly 
enriched, and many of its details of great elegance. The 
interior is adorned with very curious ancient sculpture. 
The east window is filled with stained glass of a monu- 
mental character, by Giles, dated 1601. There are three 
paintings by Vanderbank, representing The Crucifixion, 
The Ascension, and The Agony in the Garden. The village 
of Adel is termed Adhill in the Liber Regis, which, probably, 
gives the true etymology, the Hill of Ada, the first Saxon 
colonist of the place. On the slope of the hill, a little north 
of the village, are the remains of a Eoman Camp, where 
a number of ancient monuments, three altars, (one inscribed 
"to the goddess Brigantia"), several urns, statues, coins, 
&c., have been found, many of which are deposited at the 
vicarage, and others are in the possession of Captain Cham- 
berlain, of Bramhope. 

1147. Kirks tall Abbey was founded between 1147 and 
1153, by Henry de Lacie, baron of Pontefract, for monks 
of the Cistercian order. It had from its foundation to its 
dissolution in the year 1540, a succession of twenty-seven 
abbots, and was attended with various vicissitudes of 
fortune. The abbey was prosperous and opulent under the 
supermtendance of some of its abbots, and under that of 
others its affairs were in such a deplorable condition that 
the monks had to solicit through their patron Henry de 
Lacie, the interposition of the king, (Ed. I ,) to prevent its 



20 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1147-1154. 

ruin by the creditors who became impatient for the payment 
of their debts. The live stock on the estates of the abbey 
in 1301, were: draught oxen 216, cows 160, yearlings and 
bullocks 152, calves 90, sheep and lambs 4,000. In 1539 all 
monasteries in England were dissol ved by act of parliament. 
Kirkstall Abbey was then surrendered to the crown, (Henry 
VIII.) Its revenues are said to have been at the dissolu- 
tion, of the value of £8,000 to £10,000 per annum, and this 
was exclusive of the value of the cattle, corn, plate, &c., 
on the estates. The buildings were soon a mass of ruins. 
The roof was taken from the church, the bells from the 
tower, and the lead and timber from the other buildings, 
and all were sold for the benefit of the crown. In 1583 it 
seems to have been used as a sort of quarrj'^ for building 
materials, for in an entry in the churchwarden's books of 
Leeds at this date it is said that a number of labourers 
were employed at sixpence a day in removing the materi- 
als of "Christall Abbye," to assist in the erection of edifices 
in that town. 'J'he site of the abbey and some of the ad- 
joining estates, were granted by Henry VIII., to archbishop 
Cranmer, in exchange for other lands, and were by him 
settled upon Peter Hammond, in trust for his younger son. 
The estates must have subsequently passed to the crown ; 
for in the 26th of Elizabeth, they v,^ere granted by the 
Queen to Edmund Downynge and Peter Asheton, and their 
heirs for ever. At a later period, but at what precise time 
has not been ascertained, the site and demesnes with the 
manor of Bramley, were purchased by the Savilles of How- 
ley, and then passed by marriage, through the Duke of 
Montagu to the Brudenells, Earls of Cardigan, in whose 
possession they still remain. These ruins form the most 
beautiful object in this district, and are now happily pre- 
served with great care. 

1150. The practice of deciding legal claims by the sword, 
and of hiring champions for that purpose, was common in 
England at this time and long after. 

1153. Oct. 14. Died Henry Murdac, archbishop of York, 
who was never permitted to enter the minster during his 
life, in consequence of having quarrelled with king Stephen, 
whose part the canons and citizens warmly espoused. He 
was interred in York minster. 

1154. On the 25th day of October this year king Stephen 
died. The Saxon chronicler says : — " In this king's time, 
all was dissension, and evil, and rapine. Against him soon 
rose the rich men. They had sworn oaths, but no truth 
maintained. They built castles which they held out against 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 21 

1154.-11S]. 

him. They cruelly oppressed the wretched men of the 
land with castle-work. They tilled the castles with devils 
and evil men. They seized those whom they supposed to 
have any goods, and threw them into prison for their gold 
and silver, and inflicted on them unutterable tortures. 
Some they hanged up by the feet, and smoked with foul 
smoke; some by the thumbs or by the beard, and hung 
coats of mail on their feet. They put them into dungeons 
with adders, and snakes, and toads. They burned all the 
towns — thou mightest go a day's journey aiM not find a 
man sitting in a town, nor an acre of land tilled. Wretched 
men starved of hunger: — to till the ground was to plough 
the sea." 

1159. Died at Rome, Pope Adrian IV., the only English- 
man who filled the papal chair. Adrian's name was Nicholas 
Breakspear. He was choked by a fly in the fifth year 
of his pontificate. 

1160. The first parliament mentioned in history by that 
name, was held in York by Henry II., when Malcolm, king 
of Scotland, appeared to do homage for the territories he 
held under the king of England. 

1170. The four knights who murdered Thomas- a-Becket 
took refuge in Knaresborough castle, where they remained 
prisoners many months, but were subsequently pardoned 
on condition of their performing a pilgrimage to Jeru- 
salem. At Hampale, two miles S.AY. of Robin Hood's 

well, near Doncaster, William de Clairfac, and Avicia, his 
wife, founded a priory of Cistercian nuns, which at the 
dissolution was granted to Francis Aislabie. 

1171- The choir of the cathedral at York re-built by 
Archbishop Roger. 

1174. Henry II. resolved to do penance at the shrine of 
St. Thomas of Canterbury. As soon as he came within 
sight of the church of Canterbury, he alighted from his 
horse, walked barefoot to the town, prostrated himself 
before the shrine of the saint, and allowed himself to be 
scourged. He passed the whole day and night fasting on 

the bare stones. A convention of bishops and barons 

was held at York, where William, the successor of Malcolm, 
did homage to king Henry for the whole kingdom of Scot- 
land. In token of his subjection, he deposited on the altar 
of St. Peter, his spear, breast-plate, and saddle. 

1176. The dispensing of justice by circuits first estab- 
lished in England. 

1181. The laws of England digested about this time by 
Glanville. A Preceptory of KNIGHTS TEMPLARS was 



22 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 
1181.-1190. 

established at Temple Newsam as early as this year, the 
manor having been presented to that order by William de 
Villiers. These knights, who afterwards sunk to the lowest 
state of depravity, were established in the early part of 
the twelfth century, by Baldwin II., king of Jerusalem, 
for the defence of the Holy Sepulchre, and the protection 
of christian pilgrims. 

1182. Baljph Hageth, succeeded Alexander as abbot of 
Kirkstall, and was reputed a religious man, renowned for 
sanctity, a lover of justice, and a most zealous upholder 
of his order; but he followed the dictates of an ambitious 
disposition, and forgot that poverty was ill calculated to 
support extravagance. 

1186. Faulinus de Leedes refused the see of Carlisle, though 
Henry II. offered to augment its revenues 300 marks annual 
rent. About this time Henry, under pretence of raising 
monej'- for the holy wars, imposed upon his subjects a con- 
tribution of one-tenth of their moveables, and demanded 
from the city of York half the sum that he required from 
London, York being then eminent for trade. 

1189. This year Richard I. commenced his reign. 

Coats of arms were not in use in England until this 
time, the custom being derived from the Crusades. 

1190. Persecution of the Jews.— Richard I., the day 
previous to his coronation, issued a proclamation forbid- 
ding Jews to be present at Westminster, lest he might 
suffer by their magical arts. But his command was dis- 
obeyed. A few of them, " eager to offer to a new ruler the 
gifts and congratulations of an afflicted people in a strange 
land, on a day of general grace and joy, according to the 
immemorial usage of the East,forced their way into the hall 
with the rest of the people, and were permitted to lay 
their presents before him, with their humble suit for the 
continuance of that connivance of their residence, and of 
that precarious exemption from plunder and slaughter, 
which they had obtained from his predecessors." As 
soon as it was discovered that they were present in the 
hall, the people attacked them without reserve or distinc- 
tion, beat and pillaged and drove them out. The example 
of this violence at court spread through the city; and, 
believing that the king had ordered the extermination of 
this hated people, the inhabitants treated them with crush- 
ing severity. They forced their way into their houses; 
first plundered, and then put to death their possessors. 
Those who barricaded their dwellings were burnt to death; 
the feeble, the sick, and the dying, were thrown into the 



THE SURROUIvDlNG DISTRICT. 23 

1190.-1 -201. 

lires which had been kindled in the streets. The example 
of the metropolis was followed in many of the principal 
towns of England. At York, the Jews took refuge in 
the castle; but unable to defend themselves, they shared 
the same or rather a worse fate than their brethren in the 
capital. The castle was besieged for several days. On the 
night before the expected assault, a rabbi, lately arrived 
from the Hebrew schools abroad, addressed his assembled 
countrymen in these words : — "Men of Israeli God com- 
mands us to die for his law, as our glorious forefathers 
have done in all ages. If we fall into the hands of our 
enemies they may cruelly torment us. That life which our 
Creator gave us, let us return to him willingly and devoutly 
with onr own hands." No sooner had the rabbi finished, 
than the men murdered their wives and children, threw 
the dead bodies over the walls upon the populace ; set fire 
to the building, and perished in the flames. It is said that 
nearly 2000 Jews in York alone fell victims to this sanguin- 
ary persecution. 

1192. Geoffrey Plantagenet, archbishop of York, gave 
the nunnery of St. Clement to the abbey of Godstowe. Alicia, 
then prioress, refusing to obey the order, went to Rome 
to appeal to the Pope, regardless of which the archbishop 
excommunicated the whole sisterhood. 

119S. It was agreed between the monks of Kirkstall 
and the church of Addle, that the former should pay the 
latter £1 per annum, in lieu ot tithes in the parish of 
Addle. 

1199. King John and the monarch of Scotland, with their 
nobles, held a convention at York, and it was agreed that 
John's two sons should marry the Scotch king's two 
daughters. 

1200. That great discovery, so highly interesting to this 
and all other maritime countries, the use of the Magnei'w 
Needle, was made this year, and was improved and brought 
into general use in 1302, by Givia of Naples. 

1201. This year Eustace, abbot of Hay, in Normandy, 
came to England, and preached the duty of extending the 
Sabbath from three o'clock on Saturday afternoon, to sun- 
rise on Monday morning, pleading the authority of an epistle 
written by Christ himself, and found on the altar of St. 
Simon at Golgotha. This fanatic was treated Avith contempt 
by the shrewd people of Yorkshire ; and the Miller of 
Wakefield persisted in grinding his corn after the hour of 
cessation, for which it is gravely said, " that his corn was 



24 . ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1201.-1228. 

turned into blood, while the mill wheel stood immoveable 

against all the waters of the Calder." 

1,204. That disgrace to civilization, the Inquisition, began. 

1205. In the Pipe Roll there is a charge in the sheriff's 
accounts, made under the authority of the king's writ, of 
14s. lid., for the expenses of conveying the king's wines 
from Hull to York. 

1213. One Peter of Pomf ret, (Pontefract,) a poor hermit, 
had foretold that the king (John) should lose his crown this 
very year; for which rash prediction he was thrown into 
Corfe castle, the king being resolved to punish him as an 
impostor, and the unfortunate hermit was in consequence 
''trailed" at the tails of horses to the town of Warham, 
where he was hung upon a gibbet, together with his son, 

1214. This year Roger Bacon was born, a monk celebrated 
for learning, and the invention of the magic lanthorn, mag- 
nifying glasses, and gunpowder, which latter, however, is 
by some authors ascribed to Swartz, a monk of Cologne, 
who first caused it to be used in leathern guns, in 1330. 
Friar Bacon was imprisoned in his cell ten years, after 
which he spent six years in tranquillity in the college of his 
order at Oxford, and died on the 11th January, 1294, aged 

80 years. Robert de Lindesay, abbot of Peterborough, 

beautified thirty monastic windows with glass, which had 
previously been stuffed with straw to keep out the cold 
and rain. 

1215. Magna Charta signed June 15th, by king John and 
the barons, at Runnemede, between Windsor and Staines. 

1216. Registers began to be kept in York, supposed to be 
of an older date than any in the kingdom. They begin 
with the rolls of Walter de Gray, whereas those in the 
archiepiscopal palace at Lambeth do not commence before 

1307. The northern barons, having taken arms against 

king John, in the last year of his disordered reign, be- 
sieged York, but left it on receiving 1000 marks from the 
citizens. 

1222. There are said to have been 1115 castles at this 
time in England. 

1227. An Indulgence granted by Walter Gray, archbishop 
of York, of forty days relaxation, to those benefactors who 
should contribute liberally towards the erection of the south 
part of the cross aisle in the metropolitan church. 

1228. After the commencement of the Registers of the 
see of York, Henry de Gray appears to be the first Rector 
of Gargrave, and was inducted 15th February in this 
year. In the endowment of this benefice, is one article 



THE SUREOUKDING DISTRICT. 25 

1228.-1250. 

of very rare occurrence, viz., an ancient personal tithe, 
levied upon the wages of all labourers and artificers, to be 
paid in silver. 

1234. Coal is said to have been discovered at Newcastle 
upon Tyne. 

1242. Leeds corstituted a Vicarage, which was first en- 
joyed by Dns. Planus de Shirburn, nominated to the living 
by the prior and convent of Holy Trinity at York, who 
were then its patrons. 

1244. Died at Paris, John de Sacro Bosco, of Halifax, an 
eminent mathematician. 

1247. RoBix Hood, the bold outlaw and skilful archer 
of the 13th century, resided occasionally at Kirklees, near 
Huddersfield, where it is said he died on the 20th of Decem- 
ber, 1247, being suffered to bleed to death by a nun of the 
adjacent convent, to Mhom he had applied to take from him 
a portion of his redundant blood. That his remains lie 
under an ancient cross at Kirklees, beyond the precincts 
of the nunnery which stood there is by some admitted, but 
^^ hether he was of noble parentage, or an outlaw of 
humbler birth is not equally clear. Robin Hood was a 
" forester good as ever drew bow in the merrie green wood." 
He Avas a thoroughly brave and generous man. "We learn 
that though Robin was an outlaw, yet that '' he was no 
lover of blood ; na}', he delighted in sparing those Avho 
sought his own life when they fell into his power ; and he 
was beyond all examples even of knighthood, tender and 
thoughtful about women. Xext to the ladies, he loved the 
yeomanry of England ; he molested no hind at the plough, 
no thresher in the barn, no shepherd with his flocks ; he 
was the friend and protector of the husbandman and hind, 
and woe to the priest who fleeced or the noble that oppressed 
them." The cross over his grave bears no inscription, but 
the epitaph may have been engraved upon a tombstone, which 
has novv' disappeared. It was as follows : — 

" Hear, undernead dis latil stean, 
Laiz Robert, Earl of Huntington ; 
Nea areir vir as him sa geud, 
An pipl kauld him Robin Heud ; 
Sick utlauz az hi, an iz men, 
Vil Inglande nivr si agen ; 
Obit 24, Kal Deketniy.'is, 1247." 

1250. About this period Knaresborough Priory was 
founded. 

3 



26 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 
1251.-1269. 

1251. " By a statute this year, a brewer may sell two 
gallons of ale for a penny in cities, and three or four for 

the same price in the country." Henry III,, and hi^ 

queen met Alexander king of Scotland in the city of York, to 
present their daughter in marriage to that monarch. The 
ceremony was performed with a magnificence and grandeur 
suitable to the nuptials of such exalted persons. 

1256. Sewal de Bovil succeeded Walter Gray in the Arch' 
bishopric of York, but was excommunicated for opposition 
respecting the preferment to the ecclesiastical dignities. 
He received absolution on his death-bed, and died May 
10th, 1258. 

1259. Matthetv Paris, the celebrated historian, died. 

1260. John le Bomain, treasurer of the church, and father 
of the archbishop of York, of that name, built the north 
transept of York cathedral, and raised a handsome steeple 
in the place which the lantern tower now occupies. 

1261. Up to this period, Mirjidd formed a part of the 
Saxon parish of Dewsbury, and the cause of its separation, 
as appears from a latin M.S., in Hopkiuson's collection of 
documents, is curious : — "As the Lady of Sir John Hetoiiy 
the baroness of Mirfield, was going to mass before dawn 
on Christmas-day, to the parish church of Dewsbury, a 
distance of three miles, she was waylaid and robbed, and 
her principal attendant murdered, at a place called Bavens- 
brook-layne. On the same day, while she was at dinner, at 
nine o'clock in the morning, that being then the fashionable 
time, two mendicant ecclesiastics came to crave her charity, 
telling her at the same time that they were going to Rome, 
where her husband. Sir John, was then residing. On this 
intimation she sat down and wrote a letter to h -r husband, 
narrating to him the horrid scene she had so recently wit- 
nessed, and requested him to make interest with the pope 
to erect the chapel of Mirfield into a parochial church. The 
letter she confided to the priests, who duly delivered it to 
the knight, whose suit was so successful, that his holiness 
elevated Mirfield into a rectory." 

1264. The Commons of England are said to have been 
first summoned to parliament at this date. There was a 
regular succession of parliaments from the year 1293. 
Knights and burgesses first sat together in 1342, 

January 12th, died Godfrey de Kinton, archbishop of York, 
who appropriated Mexborough to his church, which, ever 
since, has been annexed to the deanery of York. He was 
interred in the minster. 

1269. By a statute of Henry HI., brewers and bakers 



THE SURROUNDI^'G DISTRICT. 27 

1269.-1291. 

committing frauds were sentenced to be ducked in stinking 
water. In the same reign there was an ancient mode of 
punishing scolding women, by subjecting them to the opera- 
tion ot the ducking stool ; one of which was established 
at the village of Morley, near Leeds, for the punishment 
of brawling women. 

1274. IngolardFurhard was inducted first vicar of Halifax, 
the rectory being then appropriated to the priory of Lewes, 

in Sussex. In this year was born Robert, lord Clifford, 

first lord of the honour of Skipton. He lived about forty 
years, and was a person eminent for his services to this 
kingdom. 

1279. Died William de Langueton, dean of York, whose 
tomb was inlaid with brass and gilt, but was destroyed in 
the rebellion. 

1280. The cruel and arbitrary Gibbet Law of Halifax is 
first mentioned this year; it remained in force till 1650. 

1281. Edward I., demanded of many of the monastic 
houses one-half of all their revenues, which they were 
obliged to pay, and acknowledge as a free gift. To such 
as paid it, he readily granted particular protection. 

1284. By an inquest taken this year, it appears that the 
village of Rastrick was rated at 13s., and contained only 
six freemen ; the rest were, according to the inquest, 

*' native tenantes^ viUians or boruismen.^' The price of a 

bible, with a commentarj'-, fairly written, was thirty pounds ; 
the pay of a labouring man, was three half-pence a day. 

Nicholas Foteman granted to the prioress of St. Clement's 
and to the nuns there, two messuages in Clementhorpe, 
with a toft, a croft, and half an acre of land, which were 
confirmed to them by Edward III. 

1285. A staple of wool, &c., was settled at Boston, in 
Lincolnshire, and the merchants of the Hanseatic League 
established there their guild, and a tax of a mark was laid 
on every sack of wool exported, and a mark on every three 

hundred skins. By 13th Edward I., stat, 2, chap. 6, 

" The king commandeth that from henceforth neither fairs 
nor markets be kept in church-yards, for the honour of the 
church." 

1291. Edward the first stayed some time in York, (on his 
way into Scotland,) when the famous Welshman, Bees-ap- 
Meredith, was conveyed to that city, tried for high treason, 
condemned and drawn through the town to the gallows, 

where he was hung and quartered. The first stone of 

the nave of the cathedral at York was, on the 7th of April, 



28 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1291 -1306. 

laid by John le Romain. The nave was completed by Wil- 
liam de Melton, his successor, in 1330. 

1292, A grant was made for the wife and family of William 
lord Latimer, who was then on the king's service in Gascouy, 
to reside in Skipton castle, with allowance of fuel out of 
the woods there. 

1298. William de Hamdtoiie appointed dean of York, and 
on January 16th, 1305, had the great seal delivered to him 
as Lord Chancellor of England. He died in 1314. 

In this year was born Roger lord Clifford, who died in 
the prime of his youth, in 1326. He was second lord of 

the honour of Skipton. Edward I. summoned a special 

parliament to meet at York, and required his mutinous 
barons to attend to it, without excuse or delay, accounting 
those rebels that should disobey. At this parliament the 
commons of the realm granted the king the ninth penny of 
their goods, the archbishop of Canterbury with the clergy 
of his province the tenth penny, and the archbishop of York 
with his clergy a fifth. Soon after this Edward removed 
his courts of justice fr m London to York, until the battle 
of Falkirk. This ancient city then ranked amongst the 
JEJnglish poHs, and furnished one vessel to Edward's fleet; 
but when vessels began to be built on a larger scale its 
commerce decreased, and Hull became possessed of that 
trade which had previously attached to the northern me- 
tropolis. 

1300. June 1st, the queen of Edward L, was taken sud- 
denl)'- in labour, as she was hunting in the neighbourhood 
of Brother ton, and not far from the church of that town is a 
place surrounded by a trench and a wa 1, in which the house 
was, where she was del vered of prince Thomas. 

Wool in Craven, at this time, sold for more than £i]. a 
sack, consisting of twenty-six stones, of fourteen pounds 
to the stone. At the same time the price of a cow was 

7s. 4d. This year the prior and canons of BoUon 

purchased the manor of Appletrewic from James de Eshton, 
but before they could take possession of it the prior was 
obliged to undertake a journey to Rome for a papal bull. 

130.5. Coals began to be so generally used that parlia- 
ment complained to the king that the air was infected ; in 
consequence of which two proclamations were issued, 
prohibiting their farther use in the metropolis, and containing 
strict orders to inflict fines, and destroy all furnaces and 
kilns where coals should be found. 

1306. Wolves, though rare, were not extinct in Graven 
at this period. — The last wolf killed in the neighbourhood 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 29 

1306.-13U. 

of Leeds, tradition says, fell in a hunt, by the duke of 
Lancaster, commonly called "Jo/in o'Gaunt.'" A public- 
house, called the John o'Gaunt Inn, is said to be built on 
a plot of ground Avhere the last wolf was killed. This 
house is on the new road between Leeds and Pontefract, 
little more than three miles from the former town. 

Nine stones weight of butter were made at Malham from 
the milk of sheep. 

1310. There were this year consumed at Bolton in Craven, 
147 stones of cheese made from ewes' milk. 

1311. Edward XL, kept his Christmas at York, with 
great festivity. 

1312. Fiers Gavestooi and his followers, who had been 
banished by Edward I., joined Edward XL, at York, by 
whom they were received as a " gilt from heaven." Gaves- 
ton had excited the resentment of the barons, who had 
formed a powerful conspiracy against him, in consequence 
of which the king caused the walls of the city to be strongly 
fortified, and put into a posture of defence. Thomas, earl 
of Lancaster, first prince of the blood, was at the head of 
the barons, who, by oath, had bound themselves to expel 
Gaveston. He therefore raised an army suddenly, and 
marched to York, whence he found Edward had removed 
with Gaveston, to Newcastle; thither he hastened, when 
the king and his favourite had just time to escape to Tyne- 
mouth, and the pursuit being continued he and Gaveston 
embarked and sailed to Scarborough, the castle of which 
port he made his favourite the governor. 

Alice Laci, relict of the earl of Lincoln, " quit-claimed" 
the advowson of the church of Leeds, to the prior and monks 
of Holy Trinity in York. 

1314. After the fatal battle of Bannockhurn, in which 
Edward XI., lost about 50,000 men, he narrowly escaped 
to York, where he immediately called his nobles together 
for consultation, but nothing was then determined. 

Of the value of money about this period, some idea may 
be formed from the maximum prices, fixed by the king's 
writs, on the following articles of food : — an Ox, stall or 
corn fed, 248., one grass fed, 16s. A fat stalled Cow, 12g., 
any other fed Cow, lOs. A fat Sheep, Is. 8d., ditto, shorn, 
Is. 2d. A fat Hog, 2 years old, 3s. 4d. A fat Goose, 3d. 
A fat Capon, 2 3^d. A fat Hen, l^. 24 Eggs, Id. 

The Scots, after gaining the above-named battle, which 
occurred on the 25th July, 1314, overran the north of Eng- 
land, and in that and the three following years, they several 
times visited, plundered, and devastated the rich pastoral 



30 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 
13U..1321. 

districts of Craven, and also Bolton Priory. At their firat 
irruption the prior fled into Blackburnshire ; several of the 
canons took refuge in Skipton castle, where part of their 
cattle were preserved ; the granges of Embsaj'', Carlton, 
Haltou, and Stede were destroyed, and all the cattle driven 
away from Halton, where the com lands lay untilled the 

next year. A survey of all the lands, freehold and 

copyhold, in the manor of 'Wakefield, was taken by William 
of Thimbleby and Thomas of Sheffield. 

1316. This year Edward II., granted a free market (on 
Tuesday) and two fairs to John de Elland, at his manor of 
Elland. 

1318. Douglas, one of Robert Bruce's generals, burned 
the towns of Northallerton and Boroughbridge, and imposed 
a contribution upon the inhabitants of Ripon. He then 
reduced Scarborough and Skipton to ashes, and, with 
much plunder, carried off a great number of prisoners to 
Scotland, 

1319. Edward II., desirous of raising an army to oppose 
Robert Bruce, came down into Yorkshire for that purpose, 
but found the country so thinly inhabited, that he was 
obliged to have recourse to the southern and western parts 

of the kingdom to complete his forces. During the 

inroads of the Scots, the town and church of Ripon were 
burnt, but re-built principally by the munificence of Edward 
III., and William de Melton, archbishop of York. 

The courts of Justice, with the Doomsday Book, and 
other national records, which, with provisions, loaded 21 
carts, Avere removed to York for six months. 

The Scots entering England laid waste the country with 
fire and sword, and continuing their depredations, advanced 
to the walls of York ; after burning the suburbs of that city, 
they returned northwards, on which William de Melton, 
archbishop of York, immediately raised an army, composed 
of clergymen, monks, canons, husbandmen, labourers, and 
tradesmen, to the number of 10,000 men. With this undis- 
ciplined band the archbishop overtook the Scots at Myton- 
on-Swale ; a battle ensued, the Yorkshiremeu were defeated 
and upwards of 2000 of them slain, including the mayor 
of York. 

1321. A battle was fought this year at Boroughbridge 
between the discontented barons, headed by the earl of 
Lancaster, and the forces of Edward II., commanded by 
Sir Andrew de Harkley (or Harclea,) warden of Carlisle. 
The king was at Pontefract when this battle took place 
and sent orders for Lancaster (who was taken prisoner) 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 31 

1321.-1327. 

and others to be brought to him. The third day after their 
arrival sentence of death was passed upon Lancaster, who 
was not permitted to speak in his own defence ; but after 
sentence had an old hat put on his head, and they set him 
on a lean horse, without a bridle. Attended by a confessor, 
he was thus carried out of the town suffering the insults 
of the people. At length he reached the hill where he was 
doomed to suffer, and having kneeled down towards the 
east, he was desired to turn his face toM'ards Scotland, 
after which the executioner severed his head from his body. 
The priors and monks begged the body and buried it in the 
church of the priory. Thus fell Thomas, earl of Lancaster, 
on the nth of April, the first prince of the blood, and one 
of the most powerful noblemen that had ever been in 
England. 

1322. A di\'i8iou of the Scottish army who spread devas- 
tation wherever they came, wintered at Morley; and a 
large deposit of coins belonging to that period, found near 
a house occupied by Thoresb}^ the antiquarian, in Kirkgate, 
Leeds, proves the terror and confusion which must have 

then prevailed. In this year Edward IL, was so 

closely pursued by the Scots, that he was surprised whilst 
at dinner in Byland abbey, about fourteen miles from York, 
which city he fortunately reached before the enemy, owing 
to the fleetness of his horse. In York his eldest son was 
created pn'nce of Wales, and duke of Aquitain, and he there 
issued commissions of array, one of which v\'as to raise all 
the defensible men in the Wapentake of Skyrack, between 
the ages of sixteen and sixty to march against the Scots. 

WiUiam de Melton, archbishop of York, consecrated a new 
parish church at Wakefield, which was most probably the 
present parish church. Whether it was placed on the site 
of the old one, which existed in 1080, is very doubtfal, 
Leland says, " the principal church that now is in Wake- 
field is of a. new work, but it is exceedingly fair and 
large." 

1324. John Wyckliff, "the morning star of the Reforma- 
tion," was born in the parish of Wyckliff this year, and, 
after being twice struck with the palsy, expired in the 
church at Lutterworth, in the month of December, 1384. 
"To this intuitive genius," says Gilpin, "Christianity Avas 
unquestionably more obliged than to any name in the list of 
Reformers. He not only loosed j)rejudices, but advanced 
such clear incontestible truths, as having once obtained 
footing, still kept their ground." 

1327. EdM'ard III., who had just ascended the throne, 



32 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1327. 

ordered his whole army to rendezvous in the city of York, 
in order to oppose Robert Bruce, king of Scotland, who, 
with an army of 25,000 men, was ravaging the northern 
parts of the kingdom. While Edward lay at York, prepar- 
ing for this expedition, there came to his aid John lord 
Beaumont, of Hainault, one of the bravest knights of the 
age, accompanied with other gallant knights and gen- 
tlemen, who, with his retinue, composed a band of 500, or 
according to Knightson, of 2000 men. For six weeks 
Edward had his court at York, with an army of 60,000 men, 
which, notwithstanding its numbers, was well supplied 
with provisions. During this time, ambassadors arrived 
in York from Scotland to treat for peace, but after some 
weeks the negotiations broke oif, and the king with all his 
barons marched at the head of the whole army against the 
Scots, in all the martial pomp of those chivalrous times. 
After a keen pursuit the Scotch army was at last overtaken, 
and cooped up by the English in Stanhope park, from which 
they were suffered to escape by the treachery of lord 
Mortimer, at the moment when they were ready to sur- 
render from the cravings of famine. Edward, chagrined 
at the loss of his prey, when it seemed within his grasp, 
returned to York, and afterwards to London, having pre- 
viously dismissed lord John of Hainault, to the continent, 
bounteously rewarded for his services. The next year lord 
John returned with his niece Phillippa, the most celebrated 
beauty of the age, and with a great retinue conducted her 
to York, where the court then was, in order to her marriage 
with the king in that city. On the Sunday before the eve 
of St. Paul's conversion, in the year 1329, the marriage 
was publicly solemnized in the cathedral, by the archbishop. 
Upon these happy nuptials, says Froissart, the whole 
kingdom teemed with joy, and the court at York expressed 
these feelings in a more than ordinary manner , for three weeks 
the feastings were continued without intermission ; there 
was nothing but jousts and tournaments in the day time, 
and maskings, revels, and interludes, with songs and dances 
in the night. The Hainault soldiery, actuated by a licentious 
and revengeful spirit, took advvantage of this carnival to 
treat the inhabitants with outrage and violence, and to such 
an excess did they carry their misconduct, that they ravished 
several of the wives, daughters, and maid-servants of the 
inhabitants, and set fire to the suburbs of the city, by which 
a whole parish was nearly destroyed. The citizens, scan- 
dalized by these proceedings, challenged the Hainaulters 
to battle; this challenge was accepted, and the battle was 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 33 

1327 

fought in a street called Watliiig-gate, with such desperate 
fury, that five hundred and twenty-seven of the foreigners 
were slain or drowned in the Ouse, and two hundred and 
forty-two fell of the English. 

1327. The chantry of St, Mary the Virgin, in Leeds, was 
founded when the Leeds bridge was erected about this 
time. It was situated at the north-east end of the bridge, 
and after the dissolution was, used as a private grammar 
school, subsequently as a warehouse, and finally demolished 

in the year 17^0. In the reign of Edward III., Sir 

John Elland, of Elland, instigated by some unexplained 
cause of hostility, raised a body of his friends and tenantry 
and placing himself at their head, sallied forth by night 
from the " Manor-hall," and attacked and slew Hugh of 
Quarraby, Lockwood, of Lockwood, and Sir Robert Beau- 
mont, of Crossland; the latter of whom was torn from his 
wife, and beheaded in the hall of his own house; the whole 
of these were murdered in the presence of their families. 
On the perpetration of these sanguinary murders, the 
younger branches of the Beauraonts, the Quarmbys, and the 
Lockwoods, fled into Lancashire, and found an asylum 
under the roofs of the Towneleys and the Breretons. It 
was not till the eldest sons of the three outraged families 
had grown up to manhood, that retribution was sought and 
obtained for the blood of their parents. "With this purpose 
the three young men placed themselves in a wood, at Crom- 
well-bottom, and as Sir John Elland was returning from 
Rastnck, they met him beneath Brook-foot, and slew him. 
Not satisfied with this act of justice, they determined to 
extirpate the name of Elland, with which sanguinary inten- 
tion they placed themselves in a mill, near which the young 
knight with his lady and their son had to pass to church. 
On the approach of the family over the dam, the murderers 
rushed forth and shot an arrow through the head of the 
father, and wounded his only child so desperately, that he 
died soon after in Elland hall The name of Elland now 
became extinct, and the daughter of Sir John, having con- 
tracted marriage with one of the Saviles, the property 
passed into that family. The murder of the young knight 
and hi>! infant son, roused the town of Elland to arms, and 
they advanced en masse to punish the murderers. For some 
time Beaumont, Quarmby, and Lockwood, whose arms 
vengeance had nerved, stood their ground, and defended 
themselves with distinguished valour against the unequal 
numbers by which they were assailed, but, being at length 
overpowered, Quarmby fell dead on the field, and his 



34 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1327.-1339. 

comrades only escaped the same fate by the fleetness of 

their horses. 

1330. Edward III. ordered every county in England to 
send him a certain number of masons, tilers, and carpenters , 
to assist in building his castle at Windsor. 

1333. Sandal castle, which is said to have been built by 
John earl of Warren and Sarrey, in order to secure himself 
the beautiful and meretricious countess of Lancaster, Isabel 
Fitz Hugh, wife to Thomas earl of Lancaster, was in this 
year assigned to Baliol, king of Scotland, by Edward III., 
as the place of his residence, until Edward had got ready 
a fleet and army, to be employed in restoring Baliol to that 
throne from which Robert Brace had driven him. Here the 
exiled monarch of Scotland resided, with the countess of 
Vesay, in that peaceful serenity seldom witnessed in the 
precincts of a court, during thesixmonths in which Edward 
was preparing for the expedition, the result of which proved 
fatal to the unfortunate Baliol, who perished in the field of 
carnage, contending for a crown. 

1336. Edward III. granted his protection to two Brahard 
weavers, to settle at York, and carry on their trade there. 
They were stiled in the letters of protection " Willielmus 
de Brabant and Hanckeinus de Brabant, textores," and 
probably laid the foundation of the woollen manufactures, 
which have so amazingly increased in the West-Riding. It 
is not improbable, that the manufacturer Hanckeinus gave 
the name of hank to the skein of worsted and other thread 
so called to the present time. Before this period the Eng- 
lish were chiefly "shepherds and wool merchants, and the 
king received few other imposts but from wool exported." 

133S. By an indenture of this date, one Robert, a glazier, 
contracted with Thomas Boneston, custos of the fabric of 
York cathedral, to glaze and paint the great western win- 
dow, the glazier to find the glass, and to be paid at the rate 
of 6d. per foot for plain, and Is. per foot for coloured glass. 

Edward III, "having solicited a great many men from 
the Netherlands, well skilled in cloth makingy'' sent colonies 
of them to Kendal and other places. Before this period 
all the wool grown in the country was exported, and 
manufactured in the Netherlands. The manufacturers of 
Flanders, afterwards, seeking refuge from the persecutions 
with which they were assailed in their own country, 
repaired in great numbers to England, and many of them 
settled at Halifax and the neighbouring places. 

1339. The parliament granted Edward IIL a duty of 
forty shillings on each sack of wool exported. Also the 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 35 

1339.-1354. 

same amount on each three hundred wool-fells, and on each 
last of leather, for two years. The act of parliament, 
which passed the preceding- year for the encouragement 
of foreign weavers, prohibited the importation of foreign 
cloth, which it was declared should be worn by none but 
the king and queen, and their children. 

ia42. May 20th, died Robert de Clifford, third lord of the 
honour of Skipton, and brother to the last lord. The value 
of the castle and manor of Skipton was at this time com- 
puted at £107 I5s. 9d. 

1^7. Thos. lord Wake gave to the Crouched Friars of 
York 1 toft and 10 acres of land, for building an oratory 
and habitation thereon. — During the wars in France, David 
Bruce, the competitor of John Baliol, king of Scotland, 
undertook to invade England, which was then left to the 
sole government of the Queen. Bruce penetrated to the 
gates of York, and burnt part of the suburbs, having laid 
waste the country through which he passed with fire and 
sword. Phillippa, the queen regent, then at York, having 
collected a powerful army, repulsed the invaders, and pur- 
sued them to Neville's Cross, in the county of Durham, 
where, on the 17th of October, 1347, she gained a signal 
victory, having slain fifteen thousand of the Scots, and 

taken Bruce prisoner. The Woollen Manufacturers, sent 

a petition to the king and lords, praying "that the new- 
custom lately set upon cloth " exported from England, " may 
be taken away." This duty was on "every cloth carried 
forth by English 14d., by strangers 21d., "'.except worsted 
cloth, on which the English merchants paid Id. per piece, 
and strangers l)^d. 

1349. A destructive pestilence, which first discovered itself 
in the northern part of Asia, made its progress from one 
end of Europe to the other, and, according to computation, 
swept away one third of the inhabitants. 

1352. John Thoresby was elected archbishop of York. 
It was in his time that the archbishop of York was made 
by the pope primate of England, and the archbishop of Can- 
terbury primate of all England. Dissatisfaction had existed 

on this point upwards of 250 years. July 19th, died 

Wm. de la Zoudi, archbishop of York, who commanded the 
2nd division of the English army at the memorable battle 
of Neville's Cross, in the county of Durham, where he dis- 
played such heroism and conduct as greatly redounded to 
his honour. He was buried at York. 

1354. York, which had long been famous for trade, 
obtained by an act, passed this year, the dapletrade of Wooly 



36 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 
1354.-1381. 

which had before been at Bruges, in Flanders. Many of 
the York merchants were subsequently members ofthe 
" Corporation of the Staple " at Calais. The woollen manu- 
facture flourished at York, so late as the reign of Henry 
VIII. 

1357. Edward III., by a charter of this date, at Wake- 
field, granted to Wm. Kay, Wm. Bull, and their succesiBors 
for ever, the annual sum of £10, to perform divine service 
in the chapel of St. Mary, on the bridge at Wakefield. The 
revenue was secured and made payable out of the produce 
of the towns of Wakefield, Stanley, Ossett, Pontefract, 
Purston-Jackling, and Water-Fryston. When this chapel 
and its two chantries were suppressed, its revenue was 
valued at £14 15s. 3>^d. 

1361. The choir of York cathedral, which had been erected 
in 1171, by archbishop Roger, was taken down and re-built 
by archbishop Thoresby, in a style more suited to the nave, 
which was completed in 1330, by Wm. de Melton. The 
tvages of workrmn at this period were 3d. a day to a master 
mason or carpenter, and I3^d. a day to their journeymen. 
A pound's worth of silver was then a pound weight, which 
is equal to four pounds of our present money, and one 
penny then would purchase as much corn as twenty-pence 
now. 

1371. The castle, manor, and honour of Knaresborough 
were granted by Edward III., to his fourth son, John of 
Gaunt, duke of Lancaster. 

1372. The Fulliug Mills, near the castle of Leeds, (47 
Edw. III.,) were in the occupation of Thomas Burgers, at 
33s. 4d., per annum rent. The "Two Corn Mills of the 
Queen's Majesty were then held by Letters Patent, under 
the seals of the Duchy of Lancaster, by John Lindley, Esq., 
of Leathley, at the yearly rent of £13 6s. 8d., but the clear 

yearly value was £126 13s. 4d. The law pleadings in 

England were changed from the French to the English 
language, as a favour by Edward III., to his people, in the 
50th or jubilee year of his reign. 

1377. The office of champion of England first introduced 
at the coronation of Richard II. It has continued in the 
Dymock family ever since. 

1380. This year is memorable for the insurrection under 
Wat Tyler, which was suppressed by the courage of Sir 
William Walworth, lord mayor of London, and the presence 
of mind of Richard II., then a mere youth. 

1381. Bills of Exchange were first introduced into the 
commerce of England about this year. 



ANNALS OF TOSESHISE. 37 

1385.-1399. 

1385. During the time Richard II. resided at York, his 
half-brother, Sir John Holland, and Lord Ralph Stafford, 
had a quarrel, which produced a duel, when the latter was 
slain. 

1390. The '^ plague " at York swept away 1100 inhabitants, 
and in the following year it raged with such dreadful effect 
in England, that no fewer than 11,000 persons fell under 

its infectious influence. This year two species of English 

woollen cloth were manufactured under an assize of length 
and breadth, viz. : the fine plain cloth of the western 
counties, and the coarse cloth of Kendal, the latter of which 
were called Kendal Cottons, though made wholly of wool ; 
for the real cotton manufacture did not exist in England 
tUl the middle of the 17th century. For several centuries 
the buckram or green druggets, made at Kendal, and in 
Yorkshire, was the common clothing of the poor in London, 
and other towns. 

1392. May. Died, in exile at Louvaine, in extreme poverty, 
Alexander Neville, Archbishop of York, who was a gre^t 
favourite with Richard II. He was translated to the see of 
St. Andrews in 1388, but was obliged to flee his country, to 
avoid the malice of his enemies. 

1396. King Richard II. appointed John Snagtall to the 
vicarage of Leeds. 

1398. May 29th, died, Robert Waldby, Archbishop of 
York, of which city he was a native, and a friar in the 
monastery of St. Aii^ istine there. 

1399. The unfortunate Richard II., was confined some 
"time in Leeds castle, till his removal to Pontefract, where 
he was murdered in cold blood, or starved to death, within 
the fatal walls of the fortress there, which was so often the 
scene of the foulest deeds of cruelty. In Hardynge'a 
chronicle, the circumstance is thus noticed : — 

" The kyng then sent kyng Richard to Ledin 

There to be kept surely in privitee ; 

Fro thens after to Pyckering went he needis, '= 

And to Knaresbro' aiter led was he ; 

But to Pomfret last where he did dee. 

The fate of Richard II. has been described as follows :— 
" One Sir Piers, of Exton, departing from court, came to 
Pomfret, commanding that the esquire who was used to 
serve Richard should let him eat well know, as not long 
Kv^ould he eat. King Richard sat down to dinner, and was 
^*)erved without curtesie or assay, when he, marvelling al 



38 ANNALS OF YORKSHIRE. 

1400.-1105. 

the sudden change, demanded of the esquire^ why he did 
not do his duty ? Sir, said he, I am otherwise commanded 
by Sir Piers of Exton, who is newly come from King Henry ; 
when he heard that word he took the carving-knife in his 
hand, and struck the esquir«^ on his head, saying, "The 
devil take thee, and Henry of Lancaster together, " and with 
that word. Sir Piers entered into the chamber, well armed, 
with eight tall men in harness ; every man having a bill in 
his hand. King Richard, perceiving them armed, knew 
v.'eil that they came to his confusion, and, putting the table 
from him, valiantly took the bill out of the first man's hand, 
and manfully defended himself, slaying four of them in 
a short space of time. Sir Piers, dismayed, leaped into 
Richard's chair, the other four assailing and chasing him 
about the chamber, till he came by the knight, who, with 
a stroke of his pole-axe felled him to the ground, after which 
he was shortly rid out of the world, without either con- 
fession, or receipt of sacrament. " 

1400. John Froissart, the celebrated chronicler, died this 
year. 

1401. The detestable act of parliament, for ''burning ob- 
stinate heretics " was passed, and William Sautree, a parish 
priest of St. Osyth, in the city of London, was the first who 
suffered under it. 

1402. Blair's chronology says, — John Gower, of Stitenham, 
Yorkshire, the first English poet, died this year. 

1405. The inhabitants of York and some other places, 
having received :nany favours from Richard II., (the last 
monarch of the house of Plantagenet) showed their gratitude 
by forming a conspiracy to depose the usurper of his throne. 
Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland, who lost his brother 
;and son in the battle of Shrewsbury, Richard Scroop, Arch- 
bishop of York, whose brother the King (Henry IV.) had 
beheaded, and Thomas Mowbray, Earl Marshal of England, 
whose father died in exile, united with Lords Falconberge, 
Bardolf, Hastings, and others, were found in this league. 
The Archbishop's impatience precipitated the disclosure of 
the plot. Scroop framed several articles of impeachment 
against the king, which he caused to be fixed upon the doors 
of the churclies in his own diocese, and sent them in the 
form of a circular into other counties in the kingdom, in- 
viting the people to take up arms to reform abuses. To 
strengthen this call, he preached a sermon to three congre- 
gations assembled for religious worship in the cathedral, 
and roused 20,000 men suddenly to arms, who joined his 
standard at York, on which was painted the five wounds 



ANNALS OP YORKSHIRE. 39 

r 1405.. 141 2. 

of our Saviour. — To subdue this rebellion Henry sent an- 
army of 30,000 men into Yorkshire, under the command ot 
the earl of Westmoreland, and the Prince John. On the ar- 
rival of the king's forces at York, they found the archbishop 
encamped out of the gates of the city, on the forest of 
Galtres, so advantageously, that it was not judged advis- 
able to attack him. The wily earl, affecting to favour the 
,views of the insurgents, solicited an interview with the 
archbishop, who took with him the Earl Marshal. Having 
■ got them into liis toils, and plied them well with wine, he 
arrested them on the spot for high treason, and their lives 
paid the forfeit of their precipitancy and misplaced confi- 
dence. The archbishop was beheaded in a field betwixt 
Bishopthorpe and York, and interred in the cathedral, where 
"being regarded as a martyr, his tomb was visited by crowds 
of devotees. He was the first instance of a clergyman 
suffering by the civil law. In 1408 the Earl of Northumber- 
land again appeared in arms, and was defeated and slain 
on Bramham Moor, by Sir Thomas Rokeby, High Sheriff of 
Yorkshire. 

1405. Aug. 10th. By indenture John Thornton, of Coven- 
try, glazier, contracted with the dean and chapter of York, 
for glazing and painting the great eastern window : the 
work to be finished in three years, for which he was to- 
receive 4s. per week, and £5 at the end of each of the 
three years. If he performed the work to the satisfaction 
of his employers, he was to receive the further sum of £10 
in silver. 

1408. Henry IV. granted to Sir T. Rokeby, the manor of 
Spofforth in the West-Riding, with all its appurtenances 
during his life. 

1410. The parish church at Normanton was by the Pope's 
bull appropriated to the Prior of the Hospital of St. John, 
of Jerusalem, in England, reserving out of the fruits of the 
said church, a competent portion for a secular vicar per- 
petually to be instituted therein. 

1412. Henry V., when Prince of Wales, was committed 
to prison for striking Chief -Justice Gascoynge, on the 
bench, before whom one of his companions was indicted 

for a riot In the reign of Henry V., a mandate was 

received by the Lord Mayor of York from that monarch, to 
seize and confiscate the estates and effects of Henry Lord 
^"Scrope, of Masham, beheaded for high treason, at South- 
ampton, in the first year of his reign. His head, with the 
mandate, was ordered to be placed on the top of Mickle- 
gate Bar, The city of London was first lighted at night 



40 ANKALS OF TOBKSHIltS. 

1412.-1455. 

'with lanthorns ; also a public granary was ereeted at Lead- 

enhall. 

1414. Richard de Sunderland, and Joan his wife, surrend- 
ered into the hands of the lord of the manor, an inclosure 
at Halifax called the " Tenter Croft." Woollen goods were 
manufactured long before this period. 

1415. The memorable Battle of Agincourt was fought be- 
tween the French and English, Oct. 25th, and gained by 
Henry V. of England, whose army was not more than one- 
fourth as numerous as the French, who had 10,000 slain, 
and 14,000 made prisoners, while the loss of the English 
were very few indeed, — some accounts say not more than 
forty. 

1417. The chantry, or chapel at Famley. is supposed to 
have been founded by Sir William Harrington, Knight, about 
this time. No remains exist, and the site is occupied by a 
modern erection. 

1430. The chantry, in Kirkgate, Leeds, was founded by 
Thomas Clarell, to pray for the " souls of the founder, 
King Edward IV., Elizabeth his Queen, and all christian 
souls, and to do divine service," and was situate below the 
old vicarage ; but every vestige of it is gone, and the site 
included in that of Kirkgate market. 

1435. In this year printing was invented by John Gut- 
tenberg. The credit of introducing the art into England 
was long believed to be due to Wm. Caxton, a mercer and 
citizen of London, who set up a printing press in West- 
minster Abbey about the year 1471 ; but it is now established 
beyond a doubt, that books were printed at Oxford by 
Corsellis several years before Caxton set his press to work, 
and that therefore that city has the honour of having been 
the first seat of the art in England. Caxton however was 
the first who introduced printing witn moulded metal types^ 
the works by his predecessors having been executed merely 
with wooden ones. 

1440. Geoffrey Chaucer, of Woodstock, died. 

1450. A rebellion broke out, headed by Jack Cade, in 
favour of the Duke of York. 

1454. Thomas Lord Clifford, eighth lord of the honour of 
Skipton, was slain in the first battle of St. Alban's on the 
22nd of May, in the 41st year of his age, and was interred 
there with his uncle, Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland, 
and the other noblemen who fell on that occasion, in the 
lady chapel of the monastery. 

1455. The first instance of debt contracted upon parliamen- 
tary security occurred in the reign of Henry VI., and per- 



ANNALS OF YORKSHIRE. 4rl 

1455.— 1460. 

mission was given by government for the exportation of 
com, when it should be below a certain price. 

1458. The Fraternity of Corpus Christi at York, was in- 
corporated by letters patent, dated November 6th, this year. 
It was instituted for a master and six priests, who were 
termed the keepers of the guild, and served without fee or 
reward, being annually renewed by the brotherhood. 
Nevertheless they were bound to make a solemn annual 
procession through the city of York on the Friday after 
Corpus Christi day ; and the day after to perform a solemn 
dirge, and mass, to pray for the prosperity of brothers and 
sisters living, and the souls departed, and to keep yearly 
ten poor folks. 

1459. September 23rd. The armies of Henry YI., and the 
Duke of York met at Bloreheath, on the borders of Stafford- 
shire, where the Yorkists gained some advantages ; but 
the night before an intended general engagement, Sir Andrew 
Trollop, who commanded a body of veterans for the duke, 
deserted to the king, taking with him all his forces, which 
dismayed the Plantagenet army, and the Duke of York fled 
to Ireland ; the Earl of Warwick escaped to Calais, but on 
returning to England soon after, he Avas joined by such a 
host of Yorkists as to be in a condition to face the royal 
army, then advancing from Coventry, in order to give him 
battle, which took place on July 10th, 1460, near North- 
ampton, when the king's army was completely defeated, 
with a loss of more than 10,000 men. — The Queen, the 
young Prince of Wales, and the Duke of Somerset, fled into 
the county of Durham, thence into Wales, and afterwards, 
into Scotland. 

1460. The bloody conflict between the houses of York- 
and Lancaster had now commenced, and Yorkshire was. 
doomed to experience that scourge of nations, " civil war," in 
its greatest horrors. After Henry VI. had been taken 
prisoner at the battle of Northampton, his masculine and; 
warlike queen, Margaret of Anjou, repaired to the north,, 
where she soon drew together 20,000 men. The Duke of 
York, hearing of her appearance in Yorkshire, hastened to 
Wakefield, and being informed that the enemy's forces 
were greatly superior to his own, he resolved to shut him- 
self up in the neighbouring Castle of Sandal, till his eldest 
son, the Earl of March, should arrive with a reinforcement ; 
but the bold queen soon appeared before the walls of the 
fortress, with the main body of her army, led by the Dukes 
of Somerset and Exeter, and by calling on him as a coward, 
who durst not encounter a woman, she forced him to lead 



42 ANKALS OF TOBXSHIBB. 

1460..1461. 

out his troops to Wakefield Green, where he offered l)attle 
to the Lancasterians, though he had only 5000 men. The 
inequality of numbers was of itself sufficient to decide the 
victory, but the queen having placed a body of troops in 
ambush, under Lord Clifford and the Earl of Wiltshire, they 
fell upon the duke's rear, while he was attacked in front by 
the main body, and in less than half an hour himself was 
slain, and his little army nearly annihilated. His body 
was soon recognized among the slain ; his head was cut off 
by Margaret's order, and fixed upon the gates of York, 
with a paper crown upon it, in derision of his pretended 
title. The Earl of Rutland, the second son of the Duke of 
York, was forced into the presence of Lord Clifford, who 
basely murdered the youth in cold blood. This battle of 
Wakefield was fought December 24th, 1460. Amongst the 
slain in Margaret's army, was Richard Hanson, Esq., Mayor 
of Hull. 

1461. Young Edward, the late Duke of York's eldest son, 
having now gained both popularity and strength, and the 
assistance of the Earl of Warwick, (afterwards called the 
king-maker,) declared his title to the crown, and inveighed 
publicly against the tyranny and usurpation of the house of 
Lancaster, the hopes of which he ultimately overthew at 
the battle of Towton, fought near Tadcaster, on Palm 
Sunday, 1461, when no fewer than one hundred thousand 
men of the same country drew their swords against each 
other, to satisfy the ambition of the weakest or the worst 
of mankind. While the army of Edward was advancing 
to the charge, there happened a great fall of snow, which, 
driving fuU in the faces of the Lancasterians, blinded them ; 
and this advantage, seconded by an impetuous onset, de- 
cided the victory in favour of Edward, whose orders to 
give no quarter were so fully executed, that 40,000 of the 
Lancasterians were slain, or drowned iu the Cock Rivulet, 
which, in the coufiision of their retreat, was filled with 
human bodies, forming a bridge for the pursued and the 
pursuers to pass over. Henry and Margaret remained at 
York during the battle, but, on hearing of its disastrous 
result, they fled to Scotland. — Margaret succeeded in es- 
caping out of the kingdom, but the weak and unfortunate 
Henry was taken prisoner, while Edward, after visiting 
York, returned to London, and was crowned on the 29th 
of July following. The heads of the Duke of York and 
some of his followers, which had been placed on Micklegate 
Bar, at York, after the battle of Wakefield, were now 
removed, and replaced by the heads of the Lancasterian. 



ANNALS OF YORKSHIBE. 4S 

1461.-1483. 

nobles, Devon and Kime. Thus was the city made the 
theatre on which was displayed the memorials of royal 
revenge. John Clapham, of Cottingley, near Bradford, was- 
a general in these wars, under the great Earl of Warwick, 
and cut off the heads of the Earl of Pembroke and the 
Duke of Bedford, in the church porch at Banbury. 

1464, By an extraordinary grant from Edward IV., to 
the citizens of York, it appears they had been friendly to him 
and his cause. The patent is dated at York, June 10th, 
and expresses the king's great concern for the sufferings 
and hardships the city had undergone during the wars, in 
consideration of which he not only relinquished his usual 
demands upon it, but assigned it for the twelve succeeding 
years an annual rent of £40, to be paid out of his customs, 
in the port of Hull. 

1467. It was fashionable at this time to wear the points 
of the shoes so long, that it was necessary to tie them up 
to the knees with laces or chains. Gentlemen used for this 

purpose chains made of silver. The ladies wore lofty 

steeple head dresses, consisting of a roll cf linen covered 
with fine lawn, which himg to the ground, or was mostly 
tucked under the arm. 

1471. Edward the IV th. after an absence of nine months 
in Holland, ventured to make a descent at Ravenspurn, in 
Yorkshire, on the 14th of March, aided by a small body of 
troops, granted him by the Duke of Burgundy. At first he 
was but coolly received, yet, as he marched along through 
the country, his forces rapidly increased, while his extreme 
moderation, and seeming humility, endeared him to his 
partisans. The gates of London were readily opened ta 
receive him, and the weak Henry VI. was again dethroned 
and committed to the Tower of London. 

1480. During this year, Thomas Scott, Archbishop of 
York, usually called " Thomas Rotherham," who was then 
Bishop o : Lincoln, founded a college in the town of Rother- 
ham, an', dedicated it to the Holy Jesus : of this structure, 
which subsisted for nearly a century, there remains the 
Inn, in Jesus-gate, and the opposite buildings now used 
as stables. 

1482. By statute 22nd, Edward IV., " It is ordained and 
enacted, that no manner of person, under the estate of a 
lord, shall wear any gown or manteU, unless it be of such 
length, that hee being upright, it shall cover his buttocks, 
upon pain to forfeit twenty shillings. " 

1483. Thomas Parr, (Old Parr) was born this year, at 
Alderbury, Shropshire. At the age of 80 years, he married 



^^ ANNALS OP YORKSHIRE. 

1483-1503. 

his first wife Jane. At the age of 120 he married Katharine 

Milton. He lived during the reign of ten English sovereigns. 

He died in the Strand, London, in 1635, aged 152 years, 

in the midst of his children, down to the fourth generation. 

He had been blind for 16 years. His food through life 

consisted exclusively of milk, cheese, bread, and small 

beer. 

1490. Thomas Savile, Esq., late of HoUingedge, by his 
■will gave his soul to Almighty God; and his body to be 
buried in Sandal church, and ordained that a chaplain do 
yearly celebrate there for ever prayers for his soul, and the 
souls of Elizabeth his wife, and Henry his brother, for the 
sustenance of which said chaplain and his successors he 
appointed lands and tenements in Heaton of the yearly value 
of £4 and upwards. 

1494. Algebra was first known in Europe. 

1497. The first grammar printed ia England was publish^ 
ed by John Holt, of Magdalen college, and usher of Mag- 
dalen school in Oxford. It was entituled, ^^ Lac Puerorum,'* 
and dedicated to Morton, Archbishop of Canterbury. 

1500. May 20th, died, at an advanced age, of the plague, 
at Cawood, Thomas Scotde Rotherham, Archbishop of York, 
who was a native of Rotherham. In September, 1480, he 
was translated from Lincoln, was made Lord High Chancellor, 
but was afterwards committed to prison. He was interred in 

York Minster. The chapel at Headingley, near Leeds, 

was buUt about this period. 

1501. The last mention of the family of Rockley, who 
built the hall bearing their name, formerly in Lowerhead 
Row, Leeds, occurs in a deed of this date. 

1503. The Princess Margaret, Henry's eldest daughter, 
when on her journey into Scotland in order to consummate 
her marriage with James IV,, visited York, accompanied 

by 500 lords, ladies, and esquires. Feb. 11th, died in 

chUdbed (and, soon after the princess to whom she o^ve 
birth,) Elizabeth of York, daughter of Edward the IVth. 
and queen of Henry VII., by whose marriage the long- 
contending houses of York and Lancaster were united, and 
England saved from those sanguiaary conflicts which had 

so often deluged the kingdom in blood. Murderers 

were allowed at this time the "benefit of clergy," and in 
Henry VIII. 's days, murders were compounded for in Wales. 
During the Saxon Heptarchy this crime was only punished 
'by fines. Christopher Baynbrigge, LL.D., was appoint- 
ed Dean of York. In 1507, he became Bishop of Durham, 
and in 1508, Archbishop of York, which diocese he held till 



ANNALS OF YORKSHIRE. 45^ 

1503-1517. 

1514, when he was sent ambassador to Rome, made cardinal, 
and poisoned by his steward, an Italian priest, whom he- 
had disgraced with a blow. 

1506. This year died Christopher Columbus, the great 
navigator, aged 64. The discoverer of America. 

1507- Dr. Thomas Robertson, celebrated for his learning, 
was born at Wakefield this year. In 1546 he succeeded Dr. 
Tnomas Knolles in the vicarage of his own native place, and 
was afterwards appointed Deau of Durham. 

1509. About this time kitchen gardens began to be culti- 
vated in England ; vegetables hitherto having been brought 
from the Netherlands. Previous to this date sugar was eaten 
with animal food to correct its putresency. 

Sii* John de Norman ville sold the manor of Coniston, in 
Craven, to William Maiham, rector > f Marton, and one of 
the clerks or masters in Chancery. On the north-west side 
of Coniston Moor is a place called Sweet Gap, where tradition 
reports that the inhabitants of Gargrave made a stand against 
a party of Scottish invaders, and were cut off almost to a 
man : Gargrave, according to the same tradition, had then, 
■even churches, six of which these destroyers burnt, and 
spared the seventh, for the merit of being dedicated to their 
own national St. Andrew. 

Hugo Goes established the first printing press at York, 
where his first production was the Pica or Pie, (an old book 
of liturgy) of the cathedral. This man, who so early prac- 
tised the typographic art in the city of York, was the son of 
an ingenious printer at Antwerp. 

1513. Before the Battle of Flodden Field 500 soldiers were 
raised in the city and ainsty of York, to march against the 
Scots, during the absence of Henry VIII., then at the siege 
of Toumay, in France. In the great battle whic^ ensued^ 
the Scottish King, James IV. was slain, and nis body 
brought to York, and exposed to public view. Td the fatal 
field of Flodden in Northumberland, the York regiment was 
led by Sir John MaundeviUe. 

1514. Cannon balls of stone were in use at this time — - 
oannon were first made of iron in 1547 ; of brass in 1635 j 
cannon shot made from iron are first mentioned in 1550. 

1515. Dec. 22nd. Henry VIII. appointed the Archbishop, 
of York (Cardinal Wolsey) to the chancellorship of England ; 
he being the pope's legate, became prime minister, and held 
at the same time the sees of York, Westminster, and Durham, 
with the Abbeys of St. Alban's and Lincoln. 

1517. Martin Luther began that reformation in the church 
which Wickliff, nearly a century and a half before, had 



46 ANNALS OP YORKSHIRE. 

167-1533. 

laboured so assiduously to effect, but which was not estab- 
lished till March 30th, 1534, when Henry VIII. sanctioned 
the " Protestants," a name which originated in the Diet of 
Spires, a.d. 1529. Luther died Feb. 18th. 1546. 

1520. The tobacco plant is said to have been found by the 
Spaniards in this year, in the island of Jucatan ; first brought 
into England by Ralph Lane, 1583 ; planted in many parts 
of England till prohibited by an act of parliament. It was 
allowed to be cultivated in Ireland in 1779. 

1521. Bows and arrows superseded by muskets, which were 
now generally introduced into the army. 

1525. Illingworth chapel, in Ovenden, built on one acre of 
waste land granted by Henry Savile, lord of Ovenden, ta 
certain feoffees, in trust, that they should pay yearly to the 
lord one '* red rose." 

1526. The chapel at Sowerby Bridge was built this year^ 
and enlarged in 1632. 

1529. The Attorney-General, on the 9th of October, pre- 
pared a bill of indictment against Cardinal Wolsey, wha 
was the pope's legate, Archbishop of York, &c. He was 
in consequence ordered to depart from York-place palace, 
having been first commanded to resign the great seal. His 
furniture and plate were converted to the king's use. 
Amongst other things, when an inventory was taken of the 
archbishop's goods, were found 1000 pieces of fine Holland. 
His palace walls were covered with cloth of gold and silver. 
He had a cupboard of plate of massy gold, and all the rest 
of his riches and furniture were in proportion. 

1530. Nov. 4th. Cardinal Wolsey was apprehended at 
York, on a charge of high treason, by order of Henry the 
VIII., but as that tyrant had sent Wolsey a ring, accom- 
panied by a gracious message, he being on horseback when 
he met the king's messenger, instantly alighted, and throw- 
ing himself upon his knees in the mire, received in that 
abject condition that fallacious mark of his master's con- 
descension. 

The Spinning wheel invented at Brunswick by Jurgen. 

The Convent of Esholt, (the Ashwood) in the parish of 
Otley, founded by Simon de Ward, in the middle of the 12th 
century, was about this time abolished, with the smaller 
religious hoiises, and now only a few pointed arches remain 
in some of the offices to attest that such an edifice once oc- 
cupied the site. 

1533. Leeds is described at this time as: — "two miles 
lower than Christal Abbay, on Aire river, is a praty market, 



ANNALS OF YORKSHIRE, 47 

1533.-1640. 

having one paroche clmrclie, reasonably ■well buildid, and 
as large as Bradef crd, but not so quik as it. " 

1536. York suffered a severe shock in tbe 27th of Henry 
VIII., when eighteen of its churches and all its chapels, 
hospitals, and monasteries were suppressed, and their 
materials and revenues converted to secular uses ; the 
priests, the nuns, the sick and the old, being all turned out 
of their asylums, to starve, or beg their bread. In conse- 
quence of these sequestrations, and the alteration made in 
the established religion, a formidable insurrection was raised 
in Yorkshire, by Robert Aske, of Aughton, a gentleman of 
great courage and influence, who, with his colleagues, pro- 
fessing to take up arms in the cause of religion, called their 
march the " pilgrimage of grace," and soon collected 40,000 
men under their standard. After taking York, Pontefract, 
and Hull, they were obliged to capitulate at Doncaster, where 
they received a general pardon, but several of their leaders 
again tried to excite new commotions, and were executed. 
Aske, the commander-in-chief, was hanged at York, on 
Cliflbrd's tower, and Lord Darcy was beheaded, and his es- 

i;ates given to the Earl of Lenox. 

1537. lu order to make some amends for the devastation. 
<5aused in the city of York by the suppression of religious 
houses, tlie court of the Lord President of the north was 
established in York, in the 28th of Henry YIII. This court 
was to determine all cases on the north side of the Trent, 
but was annihilated by the civil wars in the reign of Charles 
I. At the dissolution of monasteries, the amount of tithes 
paid by the diSerent townships and estates in the parish of 
Leeds, was £48 2s. 

1540. January 29th. The surrender of the Priory of Bolton 
in Craven, by Richard Moone, the prior, and the fourteen 
€anons, bears this date. After this Bolton remained in the 
king^s hands, till April 3rd, 1542, when the site and demes- 
nes, together with many other estates, including the advow- 
sons of the rectories of Keighley and Marton, were sold to 
Henry, Earl of Cumberland, for the sum of £2490. 

Henry YIII., suppressed in England and Wales, 643 
monasteries, 90 colleges, 3374 churches and chapels, and 
110 hospitals, and had the Abbots of Reading, Glastonbury, 
and St. John's Colchestor, hanged and quartered, for re- 
fusing to surrender their Abbeys, and for denying his 
supremacy. 

Arthington Priory, near Harewood, was surrendered by 
Elizabeth Hall and nine nuns, November 26th, This priory 
stood very pleasantly in a deep vale, near the river Wharf. 



48 ANNALS OP YORKSHIRE. 

1540-1547. 

The site was granted to Thomas Cranraer, Archbishop ol 

Oanterbviry. 

1541. Henry VITI. spent twelve days in York. On his 
a,pproach to the city he was met by the Archbishop, and 
300 of his clergy in Barnesda'e, who, on their knees, pre- 
sented him with £600. 

1542. The chnrch of Barn- Idswick bears this date, and 
is dedicated to St, IMary. It sta.- ds upon the brink of a deep 
glen, whence it has obtai ed ti!'.' ^lanie of Giil church. In a 

-ditch near this ediilce was f.^i': : _..! ^ ^ars ago, an old 

English tankard of wood, wi . !j a br( ^ad rim of copper, gilt, 
and richly chased, tog'X.' tr with a small jar of bell metal. 
These were probably tlir-vvn tljere, in some of the plunder- 
ing iiicursions of the Scots. In the 34th of Henry VIII., 

an act was passed in favonr • f the citizens of York, which 
act recites, *' that the poor of that city were daily employed 
in spinning, carding, dyeing, weaving, <fec,, for the making 
of coverlets, and that the saiiie have not been made else- 
where in tlie same country till of late ; that this manufac- 
ture had spread itseif into other parts of the county, and 
was thereby debased and discredited ; and therefore it is 
enacted, that none shall make coverlets in Yorkshire but 
the people of York." 

1543. By statute 34 and 35 Henry VIII., chap. 6.— "No 
person shall put to saie any pins, but only such as shall be 
-double-headeil, and have their heads soldered fast to the 
shank, and well smoothed ; the sliank well shaven ; the 
point well and round tiled, and sliarpened. 

1644. Robert Holgate, Archbisht)p of York, formed an 
bospital for ten men and ten women, at Hemsworth, six 
miles from Pontefract, The archbishop was deprived of his 
«ee by Queen JMary, because he was married. He was a 
native of Hemsworth. 

1545. Sir John Savile was born this year at Bradley, 
in Stainiand. He was called to the bar in 1586, was made 
one of the barms of the exchequer in 1598, and about the 
same time one of the justices of assizes. King James I. 
conferred on him the crier of knighthood on July 23rd, 
1G03 ; being tlien one of the judges who attended the king's 
cornnatifu. Died, Feb. 2nd, 1G06. 

Needles were first made in England this year by a native of 
India. : the ai-t was iost at his death but recovered by Christo- 
pher Greening, who settle^d at Long Grendon, (Bucks) where 
the ntantifacture is stiil carried on. 

1547. In a certificate t,f the Archbishop of York, and 
others, (bearing this date, concerning chantries, <kc., it is 



THE SURROUXDIXG DISTRICT. 49 

1547.-1552. 

said, ''iu the jxirrush of Hallifaxe the nomber of houslyng 
people is eight thousaud live hundred, and is a great wide 
parrysh." Camden says, in 1574 there were about 12,000 
inhabitants in the parish, and " there were in it more human 
beings than beasts of every kind. 

During the reign of Henry VIII., laws were passed 
directing that cloth of gold and tissue should be 
used onl}'' for dukes and marquises, and that purple 
should be kept for the royal family. Earls might 
use embroidery, and commoners of distinction, silks 
and velvets; the commonalty and serving-men were re- 
stricted to cloth of a certam price and lamb's fur, and 
were forbidden from wearing any ornaments, or even 
buttons, save the badge of their lord or master. The king 
likewise forbade his courtiers wearing long hair, according 
to the general fashion, and made them poll their heads, 
which led to the introduction of the peruke, afterwards 
written j;eriii"K/, and more shortly, v/ig. 

1550. The Sifeating Sichiess, which either "mended or 
ended" its victims in twenty-four hours, carried off in this 
year many hundreds of the inhabitants of Leeds, York, and 
their neighbourhoods ; — the funerals at Swillington M^ere 
increased from 4 to 25, and augmented in the same ratio 

at Leeds and other places. It was recommended, in 

a survey of the duke of Northumberland's estates, that the 
glass in the windows should be taken down and laid by in 
safety during the absence of the duke and his family, and 
be replaced on his return, as this would be attended with 
smaller cost than therepair rendered necessary by damage 
or decay. 

1551. The first regular comedy performed in England 
was in this year. The first that we read of was at Athens, 
on a stage, 562 years before Christ; 27 years after which, 
the first tragedy was acted on a waggon by Thespis, and 
the first theatre ever erected was that of Bacchus, at the 
same classic city. 

1552. The first endowment of the Free Grammar School, 
at Leeds, is contained in the will of Sir "William Sheatield, 
priest, dated the 6th of March this year, by which he 
vested in Sir John Neville, knight, and sixteen others, as 
co-feofees, (co-possessors), certain copyhold lands, situate 
near Shcepscar bridge, 'for finding sustentation and living 
of one honest, substantial, and learned man to be a schoole 
maister, to teach and instruct freely for ever, all such yonge 
scholars, youths, and children, as shall come and resort to 
him from time to time, to be taught, instructed, and in- 



50 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1552.- 1553. 

formed in such a school-house, as shallbefoanded, erected, 
and buildedby the paryshioners of the said town and parish 
of Lecdes'; upon condition, tliat if the parishioners should 
not find a gchool-house, and also purchase uuto the school- 
master for (he time being, a sufficient living of other lands, 
together with his gift, to the clear yearly value of £10 for 
ever, within four years after his decease, then the feoffees 
should stand seized to the use of the poor inhabitants of Leeds. 
The testator directed, that his feoffees and their heirs for 
ever, should have the nomination, election, and appoint- 
ment of the said schoolmaster ; and gave them power to 
put him out for reasonable cause at their discretion. 'The 
best man's voice to take no more place than the honest 
poorest man of them.' In 15^4, certain copyhold premises 
were surrendered by Richard Bank and his wife for the use 
and support of the school. In 1555 a feoffment was made 
by Sir William Armistead, with this curious declaration 
annexed to it, that " the feofTees should employ the profits 
towards the finding of one priest, sufficiently learned to 
leach a free grammar school within the town of Leeds, for 
ever, for all such as should repair thereto, without taking 
any money more or less, for teaching of the said children or 
scholars, saving of one penny of every scholar, to mention 
his name in the master's book, if the scholar have a penny, 
and if not, to enterand continue freely without any paying." 
In 1595. certain copyhold premises were surrendered by 
John Moore and others, for the use and support of the same 
institution; and Cliristopher Hopton and others also sur- 
rendered a close, denominated the Calls, containing three 
acres, for the same purpose. Subsequent endov.'ments in 
houses and lands were made by other parties. When the 
grammar school was first founded by Sir William Sheafield, 
the building, which was used for the purpose, was in a very 
incommodious situation, where the pinfold some years since 
stood, by the workhouse. Six years after, viz., in 155S, the 
"New chapel," which, in spite of its name, was a very 
old building, was purchased of queen Elizabeth, and used 
as the grammar school, and there the operations of the in- 
stitution were carried on for the period of sixty- six years. 
(See 1624.) 

1553, By an act of parliament passed this year, the num- 
ber of taverns or public-houses in the city and liberties of 
London was limited to forty, and those in Westminster to 

three. Michael Serve'tus, a French physician, first 

^issprfed the circulation of the blood; which was fully con- 
firmed by our own countryman Harvey, in 162S. T^'hrn 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 51 

1553.-1558. 

Maiy, the eldest daugliter of Kenry VIII. became queen, 
she repealed the acts of her brother and father, and restored 
the Catholics to power, but they were turned out again in 
155S by her sister Elizabeth, who attempted to extirpate 
the Catholic priests from her dominions, by making- it death 
for them to be found in England, death to harbour them, 
and death for them to exe.cise their functions, so that 
about the 20th year of her reign, the old priesthood was 

nearly extinct During the reigns of Edward VI. and 

Mary, the flat round bonnet, or cap, of plain velvet or 
cloth was fashionable, and was worn on one side of the 
head, and decorated with a jev/el and single ostrich 
feather. The bonnet itself is preserved in the caps worn 
at the present day by the boys of Christ's Hospital, and 
their blue coats and yellow stockings are such as were 
worn by the London apprentices at tlie date of the founda- 
tion of the hospital, by the youthful Edward. 

1554 A law, enacted in the reign of Edvv^ard VI., which 
prohibited every one from making cloth, unless he had 
served an apprenticeship of seven years, was now repealed, 
and this plain reason given, " that it had occasioned the 
decay of the woollen manufacture, and had ruined several 
towns"; but this law, injurious as it is represented to 
have then been, was revived during the reign of Elizabeth. 

1555. Died lioheii Farrar, the maiiyr, who was born at 
Ewood, in Midgley. When a young man, he became a 
canon regular of the order of St. Austin. About 1533 he 
became chaplain to archbishop Cranmer, after whose ex- 
ample he married. He was the last prior of Nostel, in 
Yorkshire, to which was annexed the prebend of Bramham, 
in York cathedral. He surrendered his convent in 1540, 
and had a pension of £100 per annum allowed him, which 
he received until his promotion to the Bishopric of St. 
David's. When Mary .ascended the throne, he was ex- 
amined for his faith and doctrine by the bishop of Win- 
chester and Dr. Morgan, and, refusing to renounce hia 
heresies, schisms, and errors, as Morgan called them, he 
was condemned and burned at Caermarthen. 

155f5. On May \Q,^v^9,ii\i^rYQdi BoheHHoldeswoi't'h^LL.D., 
vicar of Halifax, who was murdered by thieves in the 
night. 

1557-S. In the reign of Philip and Mary, an act was 
passed in favour of Halifax, which recites that, "Whereas 
the town of Halifax being planted in the great waste and 
moor-j, where the fertility of the ground is not apt to bring 
forth any corn, nor good grass, but in rare places, and by 



52 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1558. 

exceeding and great industry of the inhabitants, who al- 
together live by cloth mcthing, and the greater part of them 
neither getteth corn, nor is able to keep a horse to carry 
wools, nor yet to buy much wool at once, but hath ever 
used to repair to the town of Halifax, and there to buy 
two or three stone, according to their ability, and to carry 
the same to their houses, three, four, or five miles ofP, upon 
their heads and backs, and so to make the same either into 
yarn or cloth, and to sell the same, and so to buy more 
wool of the ivool- driver ; by means of which industry, the 
barren grounds in those parts bemuchinhabited, and above 
live hundred householders there newly increased within 
these forty ycnvs past, which are like now to be undone, 
and driven to beggary by reason of the late statute, (37th 
Henry VDI), that taketh away the ivool-clnver^ so that now 
they cannot have their wool by the same small quantity or 
portions as they were Avont to have ; and that also they 
are not able to keep any horses Avhereupon to ride, or fetch 
their wools further from them in other places, unless some 
remedy ma}^ be provided." It was therefore enacted, 
" That it should be lawful to any person or persons, 
inhabiting within the parish of Halifax, to buy any wool 
or wools at such time as the clothiers may buy the same, 
otherwise than by engrossing and forestalling, so that the 
persons buying the same do carry the said wools to the 
town of Halifax, and there to sell the same to such poor 
folhs of that and other parishes adjoining, as shall work 
the same in cloth or yarn, to their knowledge, and not to 
the rich and tvealthy clothier, or any other to sell again ; 
offending against this act to forfeit double the value of the 
wool so sold." 

15')S. 7'he " New Chapel," which stood near the North 
bar, in Leeds, and which was a very old building was pur- 
chased of queen Elizabeth, and used for a public grammar 
school till 1624, when Mr. Harrison "removed the school 
to a pleasant field of his own, which he surrounded with a 
substantial wall." — It is supposed to have been the chantry 
of St. Mary, from which Lady-lane and Lady-well have 
their names. In the 37th Henry VIII., it was valued at £S 
133. per annum, and its last priest of which there is any 
notice, was Ipofer Bradley, who, according to the register, 
was buried in St. Peter's church, the 23th of October, 1563. 
At this period the common bakehouse (Commune Furnum) 
in the old square, Kirkgate, Leeds, was in existence, 
and is thus spoken of by Thoresby and his commen- 
tators : — "At the upper end of Kirkgate, over against 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 53 

3558.-1563. 

the prisoji, was that necessary evil in &, pojmlus town, a 
common bakehouse, which John Metcalf farmed of queen 
Elizabeth at £12 per annum, but which by the survey ap- 
peared to yield jt;120 per annum. 

1559. Jan. 1st. Soon after Elizabeth's accession to the 
throne, the church service was ordered to be performed in 
English, and a complete reformation of the church imme- 
diately followed. Queen Elizabeth first appeared in 

silk stocking's. — The glory of the Elizabethan era of 
female costume, as well as its most remarkable character- 
istics in the sixteenth century, was the ntff of plaited 
linen or cambric, which arose from the front of the 
shoulders behind the head, nearly to its full height; from 
the bosom descended a huge stomacher, on each side of 
which projected the immense farthingale or hooped petti- 
coat. At this time the material of the ruff having been 
changed from holland to lawn or cambric, a difficulty arose 
as to starching or stiffening it, instead of the clumsy mode 
of supporting it by poking-sticks of ivory, wood, or gilt; 
metal. At length the art of starching was brought fron>. 
Flanders, and taught in London for a fee of four or iiva 
pounds. The ruff" was fashionable long after this time- 
for Ave lind it anathematised from the pulpit in a ssrmoa 
preached before the king at "Whitehall, in 1607-S, as 'her 
French, her Spanish, and her foolish fashions ; her plumes, 
her fannes, and a silken vizard ; with a ruff like a sail, yea, 
a ruff like a rainboic ; with a feather in her cap like a flag 
in her top, to tell which Vv'ay the wind will blow.' " Divers 
noble personages (says honest John Stowe) made them 
ruffs a full quarter of a j^ard deep, and two lengths in one 
ruff." To correspond with the ladies' farthingales, the bucks 
of the day stuffed out their breeches with rags, feathers, 
and other light matters, till they brought them out to a 
most enormous size, resembling woolpacks. In the pre- 
ceeding reign of Mary, the fashion ran on square toes; in- 
somuch that a proclamation was issued, that no person 
should wear shoes above six inches square at the toes ! 

Then succeeded pricked-pointed shoes. Christopher 

Ashhurn was inducted vicar of Halifax; he was the 
first Protestant who held that benefice. 

1562. April 23rd. Shakespere was this day born at Strat- 
ford-upon Avon, in ^Yarwickshire. He died on his birth- 
day in 1614, aged iifty-two years. 

i563. By 5th Elizabeth, chap. 5, sec. 40, " Y/hoever shall 
by preaching, teaching, writing, or open speech, notify 
that eating fish, or any forbearing of flesh, is of any ne- 



54 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

3563.-1569. 

cessity for saving the soul of man, shall bo punished as 
spreaders of false news are and ought to be." 
loot. This year died John Calvin aged fift3'-five. 
A great flood in the Ouse at York, swept awtiy two 
arches of the bridge with twelve houses that stood upon 
them. Several lives were lost in this inundation. 

1565. Matthew Lister, ]M.D. was born at Thornton, in 
Craven, and became physician in ordinary to queen Anne 
of Denmark, by the recommendation of the illustrious 
Anne, countess of Pembroke, and afterwards to king 
Charles I. from whom he received the honour of knighthood 
in 1036 : lastly he attained to the summit of medical 
honours, by being appointed President of the college of 
Physicians. He died in 1657, at Burwell, in Lincolnshire, 

aged ninety-two. Sir John Clarke buried December 

9th, was priest of the ancient chapel which stood at the 
north end of Leeds bridge. 

1553. Roger Ashham, a native of one of the Askhams, near 
York, died January 5th. He was celebrated for his 
learning, and was tutor and latin secretary to queen 
Elizabeth. His work, called "The Schoolmaster," was 
published after his death by his widow, whom, with her 

children, he left in great distress. On October lltli, 

this year, died Bocjer Brooh, of Halifax, aged 133 years. 
— October 4. At a conference held at York, the cause of Mary 
queen of Scots, was examined into. In January, 1559, she 
was imprisoned in Tutbury castle; in 1586, it is said, she 
conspired against the life of her cousin, queen Elizabeth; 
Avas removed to Fotheringay castle in the same year, and 
was sentenced on the 25th of October to die. She was be- 
headed at Fotheringay, February Sth, 15S7. 

1569. An insurrection broke out in the north, in the 
reign of queen Elizabeth, under the leading of the earls of 
Northumberland and Westmorland. The ])rofessed objects 
of the conspirators v/ere to restore the Ptoman Catholic 
religion, and advance Mary queen of Scots to the throne 
of England. Their first demonstration was at Durham, 
where they tore in pieces the bibles and prayer books in 
the English tongue which they found in the churches. They 
next marched southward, and arrived at Ripon on the ISth 
November. After putting Sir William Ingilby to flight, 
they marched to Knaresborough, thence to Wetherby, and 
at length to Clifford-moor, when they found their army 
numbered but 1,600 horse and 4,000 foot. They afterwards 
besieged and took Barnard castle. A force of 7,000 men 
marched from York against the rebels, who v/cre soon 



THE SURROUXDIXG DISTRICT. o5 

I569.-15S2. 

dispersed; but many of them were killed or captured in 
their flight. Sixty-six of the prisoners were hanged at 
Durham, amongst whom was Plomtree, a noted priest. 
Among the prisoners were Simon Digby, of xlisken ; John 
Fulthorpe, of Islebeck; Robert Pennyman, of Stockesly ; 
and Thomas Bishop, of Pocklington ; all of whom AA^ere, 
on the Good Friday following, (1570) hanged, beheaded^ 
and quartered, and" their heads were set upon the four 
principal gates of the city. Not less than 800 persons are 
said in the Avhole to have suffered by the hands of the exe- 
cutioner. The earl of Westmoreland escaped; but North- 
umberland was afterwards taken, and beheaded Aug. 22^ 
1572, on a scaffold in the Pavement, at York. This was- 
the last open attempt made to restore the Roman Catholic 

religion in this kingdom. " A rule to knowe how 

many dayes euer}' moneth in the yere hath. Thirty dayes- 
hath Nouember, Aprill, June, and September — February 
hath xxviii. alone, and all the rest have xxxi. ; but in the 
leape you mustadde one." Gafton's Chronicles of England^ 
1570. Svo. 

1571. By statute 13th Elizabeth, chap. 19, "All persons 
above the age of seven years, shall wear upon Sabbath and 
Holy days upon their heads, a cap of wool, knit, thicked^ 
and dressed in England, upon pam to forfeit, for every day 
not wearing, three shillings and fourpence." 

1572. The Leeds Parish Church register of burials, 
baptisms, and marriages, commences on the 20th of May,. 
this year. 

1573. The head of the earl of Northumberland, who had 
suffered decapitation in 1572, was stolen in the night from 

Micklegate bar, in the city of York. During this year 

a considerable earthquake was experienced in York. 

A prison was erected on Ouse bridge, York, about this 
time. 

1577. The following passage is in Harrison's description 
of Great Britain, printed in 1577 : — " In the reign of Henry 
VIII., there were hanged seventy -tico thousand thieves and 
rogues, (besides other malefactors) ; this makes about two 
thousand a 3'ear. But in queen Elizabeth's time, the same 
author says, there were onl}' between three and four hun- 
dred a year hanged for theft and robbery. Silver ore 

was found in the township of Eimington, in Craven, which 
yielded after the rate of 26 lbs. of silver per ton. 

Captain Drake first discovered California. 

I5S2. In order to further correct the calendar, (see 45 
B.C.) Gregory XIII., after deep study and calculation. 



56 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1582-1584. 

ordained that ten days should be deducted from this year, 
by calling- what according to the old calendar, would have 
been reckoned the 5th of October, the loth of October, 
15S2. The Catholic nations in general adopted this purely 
scientific improvement; but the Protestants adhered to 
the old style for nearly two centuries, (see 1751-) 

1533. In the Birch collections at the British museum, 
reference is made to the age of the countess of Desmond, 
as follows: — "The olde countess of Desmond was a mar- 
ryed v/oman in Edward IV's time, of England, and lived 
till towards the end of queen Elizabeth : soe as she 
needes must be 140 yeares old — she had a new sett of 
teeth not long before her death ; for she must needes climb 
a nutt tree to gather nutts,soe falling downe,she hurt her 
thigh, which brought a fever, and that fever brought 

death." The advowson of the vicarage of Leedes 

purchased by the parisioners of Oliver Darneley, for <£130. 

The stone stairs, or '■'Griece on the west syde of the 

hridrje at Ledes,'" were built this year with stone brought 
from " Christcdl Abhaye,^^ ^vhen labourers' wages were 6d. 
a day, Avhereas now, says Thoresby, "they are hardly- 
content with the double." These stairs led to '■'■theTeutures.'* 
A pair of tenters were then about twent3'-3ix or twenty- 
eight yards long — cloth being generally made into " dozens" 
or short cloths, but about the year 17O0, pieces of cloth 
upwards of sixt}'- yards long were made. Near the " Griece,^' 
was Embsey bridge, crossing to the land now insulated, 
and called the "Isle of Cinder." 

•1534. Dec. The follovt^ing extract from the register of 
burials at the Leeds Parish Church, is curious and characteristic of 
this time:— "Ry chard Lumbj^e, of the Chappilltoune, being a Papist, 
not comying to the church the space of xij years, being iu'lyeted at 
the gen'all and peace sessions, Apo the statute, pscuted as the .... 
of Papists ; excommunycate, Dyed at Chappilltoune the third day of 
December, and was by hys kj^nsfolk and neighbours brought tovvards 
the churche to he buryed, but at the church yerdgate stopped by the 
vicar and churchwardeners; the corps remaned till the tenthe day of 
the s.ime moneth at night, and hys frends could not gett lycens to 
burj-e hym, going to York for yt purpose, hys said corpse was in the 
night conveyed and buryed." 

The register of burials at the Leeds Parish Church contains the 
follo'A'ing : — ''1592, Aprill 28. Grace Birckhead, bothe meke and 
mylde, in one chiste she and her child " 

Corpus Christi Plays vv^ere annually performed at York 
till this year (1584) by the ancient Guild or Fraternity of 
Corpus Christi, and the other free companies of that city. 
These theatrical exhibitions were performed on the festival 



THE SURROU-VDTXCt DISTRICT. 5/ 

I5S4.-1C03 

of Corpus Christi in most of the cities and principal to^vns 
of England. 

15So. The free grammar school of queen Elizabeth, at 
Halifax, was founded this year. 

15S6. Farnley-haU, erected by Sir "William Denby, was 
taken down in IJo'^J, and the materials sold. 

13S7. This year the burials at Leeds Avere tripled, by the 
Plaque. At Rothwell, in the following: year, they increased 
from 34 to 127. • 

1.5SS. The Spanish Armada, consisting of 130 ships, with 
50,000 men, arrived in the English channel, but Avere dis- 
persed by a storm, July 2rth, when many Avere Avrecked, 

and others burnt and taken. The first English nevrs- 

paper Avas printed this year, called " The English 
Mercury." 

15S9. John Thornburgh, S. T. P., appointed Dean of 
York. He held the bishopricks of Limerick and Bristol 
in commendam, and. was removed to the bishoprick of 

Worcester, in 1617- Coaches first brought into 

England, 

1590. HovrLET Hall, in Batley parish, built by Sir John 
Savile, the first honorary alderman of Leeds. After standing 
for a century and a half, the pride and admiration of the 
neighbourhood, it Avas, at the instigation of a faithless 
agent, blown up with gunpoAvder by order of the earl of 

Cardigan, in 1730. The thermometer was invented 

about this time, by Sanctorie. 

1591. Henry, the fifth and last earl of Cumherland, Avas 
born at Londesborough. He had. the misfortune to see the 
beginning of the great rebellion, and the happiness to be 
taken from the calamities which foUoAved. He Avas 
much favoured by king James and king Charles I., and died 
of a burning fever at one of the prebends' houses in York, 
1643, and was interred at Skipton, amidst the "roar of 
arms." when his castle was held for the king, against all 
the assaults of the rebels. 

1592. Wakefield grammar school founded. 

1600. About this time Beeston, near Leeds, was famous 
for the manufacture of bone lace. 

1603. Queen Elizabeth commanded the Roman catholics 
in York, to be present at three sermons preached in the 
cathedral of that city, by arclibishop, Matthew Hutton. At 
the first tAvo sermons, they behaved so obstreperously, 
that it AA'as found necessary to stop the mouths of some 
of them before silence could be obtained. At the third 
sermon, there was a A^ery great audience : the lord presi- 



58 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

] 603.- 1604. 

dent, the queen's council, the lord mayor and aldermen, 

and the principal gentry of the county being- present, yet 

the catholics stopped their ears, rather than listen to the 

venerable prelate's discourse. By statute 1st, 

James 1, chap. 9, "If any alehouse-keeper shall sell less 
than a full quart of ale for a penny, or of the small ale 
two quarts for one penny, he shall forfeit for every such 
oflPence the sum of twenty shillings." Queen Eliza- 
beth died at one o'clock of the morning of Thursday, the 
24fh of March, 1603. Between nine and ten. Sir Robert 
Carey left London (after having been up all night) for the 
purpose of conveying the intelligence to her successor 
James, at Edinburgh. That night he ro'ie to Doncaster, 
155 miles; next night he reached Witherington, near 
Morpeili; early on Saturday morning he proceeded by 
Norhara across the border ; and that evening, at no late 
hour, kneeled beside the king's bed at Holyrood, and 
saluted him as king of England, France, and Ireland. He 
had thus travelled 400 miles in three days, resting during 

the two intermediate nights. Win Witham, of Led- 

ston, (who died in 1593), was popularly supposed to be 
beivitched to death by one Mary Pannel, who, having been 
long celebrated for supposed sorceries, was accused and 
convicted at York in 1603, and executed on a hill near . 
Ledston-hall, to this day called Mary Pannel hill. 

In the reign of James I. nine tenths of the commerce of 
the kingdom consisted of woollen goods. Most of the cloth 
was exported raiv, and Avas dyed smdi dressed hy the Dutch, 
who it is said gained £700,000 a year by this employment. 
A proclamation against exporting cloth in a raw state had 
succeeded so ill during one year, by the refusal of the 
Dutch to buy the dressed cloth, that great murmurs arose 

against it. The plague re-appeared in London, in this 

and the follov/ing year no less than 6S 59'6 persons died 
from that visitation. 

1604. The Yorkshire Tragedy, attributed to the pen of 
Shakespeare, is "founded on facts" which occurred this 
j'-ear at Calverley Hall, near Bradford, the residence for 
six centuries of a family of its own name. The story is 
as follows : — \Yalter Calverley, the son and heir of William 
Calverley, Esq. married at the close of the 16th century, 
Philippa, daughter of Sir John Brooke, by Avhom he had 
three sons, William, Walter, and Henry. Dissipation and 
other vices of the head of this ill-fated family, had plunged 
them into extreme embarrassments, and under the influence 
of intoxication, jealousy, or intolerable apprehension that 



THE SURUOUJS'DING DISTRICT. 59 

1604. 

bis children would become beggars, he came to the des- 
perate resolution to be himself their murderer. The intel- 
ligence that his brother had been committed to prison ia 
consequence of a security given for Walter, brought on the 
crisis which he had contemplated, and observing his oldest 
son, a boy four years old, at play in the gallery of Calver- 
ley hall, the unnatural father rushed upon him, and inflict- 
ed two or three wounds with his dagger. He then seized 
upon the bleeding child, and carried him to the room of 
his mother, M'ho Avas asleep, while the nurse was dressing 
another of the children in the room. The unhappy mother 
roused from her slumbersby the violent entry of her husband, 
soon became aware of the danger which threatened her 
children, and endeavoured to save the second child from 
his fury, but all her ciforts were in vain, and he plunged 
the reeking dagger into its heart, while clapped in its 
mother's arms. His fury was then directed against his 
lady, and he inflicted upon her several severe wounds. 
Still unsatiated with blood, he took his horse and rode off 
for the village where his infant child was at nurse, but as 
he entered the place, he was thrown from his horse, and 
secured by a servant, m^io had been despatched after him. 
On the follov/ing day he was taken before Sir John Savile, 
of Howley, and Sir Thomas Bland, knights, two of the 
magistrates of the West-Kiding, in whose presence he 
confessed his crime, adding, that he had harboured the 
intention of killing his children for two years past, and 
that " the reason that moved him thereunto was, for that 
his wife had manj^ times heretofore uttered speeches and 
given signs and tokens unto him whereby he might easily 
perceive and conjecture, that the said children were not 
by him begotten, and that he had found himself to be in 
danger of his life sundry times by his said wife." At the 
close of the examination, he was committed to gaol, but 
as the plague then raged in York, he was sent to Wakefleld. 
Subsequently he was removed to York, where he was 
brought to trial, but refused to plead either guilty or not 
guilty; "he was adjudged to be pressed to death ; accord- 
ing to which judgment he was executed in the castle, at 
York, the 5th of August, 1604." The innocent lady of 
this high-born malefactor recovered from her wounds, and 
his son Henry succeeded to the estate and chattels, the 
latter of Avhich, his father, by refusing to plead on his 
trial, had saved from forfeiture. The estate remained 
in the Calvcrley family till the year 1754, M^hen Sir Walter 
Calverley, who took the name of Blackett, sold the manor 



60 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1604.- I6O7. 

and estate of Calverley to Thomas Thornhill, of Fixby, 
Esq., by whose heir, Thomas Thornhill, Esq., of Fixby, in 
Yorkshire, and Riddlesworth, in Norfolk, it is still pos- 
sessed. . The hall is now occupied by a number of 
labouring families in seperate tenements. In York, 3,512 
persons died of the plague. In consequence of this con- 
tagion, the assizes were held at Wakefield, and prince 
Charles passed through Leeds to London instead of going 

by York. The vicar of Calverley and live of his 

parishioners executed a certificate which was presented 
to the judges of assize at York, wherein they declared 
"that Robert Hare, Isabella Hare his mother, Ann Brigg 
and Elizabeth Birkenshaye, all of their own parish, were 
vehemently suspected of the devilish art, of luitchcraft,^^ 
and that they had done much hurt and mischief to their 
neighbours for the space of twenty years past. The 
object of this deposition was to "root out abominable 
witchcraft," but whether it had any reference to the horrid 
murders just committed by their landlord at Calverley 
hall, is not recorded. 

1605. The disappointment of the Catholics on finding 
that the severe laws against them were not to be relaxed, 
led to a conspiracy called the gunpowder plot, which was 
to have been put in force on the meeting of parliament, 
Nov. 5th, this year. It was arranged that the House of 
Lords should be blown up by gunpowder, at the moment 
when the king, lords, and commons, were all assembled 
in it, thus, destroying as they thought, all their chief 
enemies at one blow, and making way for a new govern- 
ment which should be more favourable to them, Accord- 
ingly, thirty-four barrels of powder were deposited in the 
cellars beneath the House, and a person named Guy 
Fawkes was prepared to kindle it at the proper time. 
The plot was discovered in consequence of the receipt of 
a letter by lord Monteagle, warning him not to attend the 
meeting of parliament. 

I6O7. A terrible flood devastated the south-western 
counties of England and Wales, whereby twenty-six 
parishes in Monmouthshire were entirely swept away, 
and the counties of Somerset, Gloucester, Glamorgan, 
Cardigan, and Caermarthen, were fearfully overflown by 
the sea: 500 persons perished, and many thousands were 
utterly ruined. The counties of Norfolk, Bedford, Cam.- 
bridge, Lincoln, Huntingdon, and Kent, were also visited 
in the most sudden manner at the same time, with a simi- 
larly fatal calamity. At Wisbeach, the sea inundated the 



THE surrou:nding district. 61 

160^.-1612. 

town, overthrowiug: an inn called the Cross Keys, in which 
numerous guests were assembled. At Yarmouth, the bridge 
was carried away ; and off the coast, numberless vessels 
were AArecked and their crews lost. At Numby Chapel, the 
whole town was lost except three houses ; and so deep 
was the water here, that a ship was driven in from the sea 
upon a house, the sailors thinking it had been a rock. The 
crew v/ere saved by clinging to the ruins of the house. At 
Grimsby, the salt-works were rendered useless ; and the 
bridge at Wentworth, a model piece of architecture in 
those times, was swept away. The greatest destruction 
was amongst the sheej) : several thousands being totally 

lost. A number of Roman coins and moulds were 

this year found at Lingwellgate, near Wakefield. 

1608. " A new stall in the old church at Leeds made for 
Thomas and Peter Jackson, as they had no room anywhere 
in the church to sit." — Churchwarden'' s accounts. 

1609. In this year the Leeds soke originated, by letters 
patent, granted by James L to Edward Ferrers, of London, 
mercer, and Francis Phelips, of the same place, gentleman. 
The mills to Avhich this grant applied, are supposed to have 
stood in Swinegate, at the place known by the name of the 
"MillGoit." The origin of this custom is very remote. In 
ancient times, each family ground its corn in hand-mills. 
When water-mills were invented, their introduction was 
eagerly desired, and no one being found able to build them 
in some poor districts, the king was petitioned to erect 
mills in various places, to which he consented, on condition 
that the inhabitants would bind themselves and their heirs 
for ever, to grind at such mills, on the terms then agreed 
on. During the Crusades, many privileges and immunities 
were granted to the Knights Templars ; and among these 
were the exemption of their lands from certain taxes, and 
from the soke of the mills. The houses thus exempt, were 

marked by crosses. A frost which commenced in" 

October, lasted four months : the Thames being so frozen 
over, that heavy carriages were driven over it. 

1610. June 4th. A terrible fire broke out at Bury St. Ed- 
monds, in Suffolk, which destroyed 160 houses, and reduced 
several people to great extremities. About this time, also, 
a malignant and putrid fever raged throughout the country, 
which carried off vast numbers of the people. 

1612. The church of Burnsal, in Craven, was repaired and 
beautified by Sir William Craven, knight, and alderman of 
the city of London, and late lord mayor of the same. He 
also erected and endowed a grammar school in the village. 

6 



62 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1612.-1614. 

He was born at Appletrewick, in the parish of Bumsal, of 

poor parents, who consigned him to a common carrier for 

his conveyance to London, where he entered into the service 

of a mercer-draper, and, by diligence and frugality, raised 

himself to wealth and honour. In 1611 he was chosen lord 

mayor. In 1612, twelve persons were executed at 

Lancaster for witchcraft ; in 1622, six at York; in 1634, 
seventeen in Lancashire; in 1644, sixteen at Yarmouth ; in 
1645, fifteen at Chelmsford ; and in 1645-6, one' hundred 
and twenty in Suffolk and Huntingdon. The monster 
Matthew Hopkins and his assistants were regular authorized 
witch-finders, and undertook to clear any locality of witches 
for the sum of 20s., bringing them to confession and the 
stake in the following manner: — he stripped them naked, 
shaved them, and thrust pins into their bodies to discover 
the witch's mark ; he wrapped them in sheets, with the 
great toes and thumbs tied together, and dragged them 
through ponds or rivers, when, if the}'' sunk, it v/as held as 
a sign that the baptismal element did not reject them, and 
they were cleared ; but, if they floated, (as they usually 
would do for a time), they v/ere then set down as guilty, and 
doomed. He kept them lasting and awake, and sometimes 
incessantly walking for tvv^enty-four or forty-eight hours, as 
an inducement to confession. If a wifch could not shed 
tears at command, or if she hesitated at a single word in 
repeating the Lord's prayer, she Avas held to be in league 
with the evil one. The results of these and such like tests, 
were actually and universally admitted as evidence by the 
administrators of the law, who, acting upon them, con- 
demned all such as had the amazing constancy to hold out 
against the tortures inflicted. Butler has described Hop- 
kins in his 'Hudibras' as one 

"Fully empowered to treat about 

Finding revolted witches out. 
And has he not within this year 

Hanged three score of them in one shire ? 
Some only for not being drowned ; 

And some for sitting above ground." 
After Hopkins had pursued his trade of witch-findiug for a 
many years, he was subjected to his own favourite test of 
swimming — he escaped with his life, but v^^as never heard 
of more. 

1614. Robert Cooke, B.D., (otherwise Gale) said to have 
been the most noted disputant of his time, Avas vicar of 
Leeds, and died January 1st, this year. Of hk brother awl 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. G3 

1614..1619. 

successor, Alexander Cooke, B.D., \Vood, the author of 
Athenas Oxonieiisis, says, '- that he was admirably read in 
the controversies between the Protestants and Papists, 
versed in the fathers and schoolmen, witty and ingenious, 
but a great Calvanist ! " He died in June, 1G32. 

1615. A Bill of Complaint was exhibited in Chancery on 
the 3rd of November, in ihe names of some of the most 
wealthy and influential inhabitants of the district ; in which, 
it is said, that the town and parish of Leeds had become 
very large and populous, and contained more than 5000 com- 
municants, and that, althoug-h some of them were three or 
four miles distant from the church, yet three or four thousand 
of them ordinarily resorted thither every Sabbath day. 

1617. This year James I. issued his royal proclamation, 
called " TJie Book of SpoHs,'' which he ordered to be read 
in all churches, for the purpose of legalising and en- 
couraging the exercise of gymnastic and other sports and 
games after divine service on Sunday afternoons. 

The inhabitants of the city and count}'- petitioned in 
vain for the establishment of an university in York. 

16 IS. July 5th, James Hay, first Baron Say, by patent, 
was created Viscount Doncaster, a title which became ex- 
tinct in 1660 ; but in 1663, James Fitz Boy, (who assumed 
the name of Scot), natural son of Charles II., was created 
JEail of Doncaster, by patent, February 14. He was be- 
headed in 16S5, when the title was forfeited, but was 
restored to his heir, Francis Scot, third earl of Dalkeith, 

March 23rd, 1743. At this time there was a park at 

Bingley, and a castle near the church, on a hill called 
Baily-hill. 

1619. A commission which sat this year for the purpose 
of enquiring into the due administration of public chari- 
ties, it was found that the several messuages, lands, 
annual rent charges, and smns of money in the inquisi- 
tion particularly specified, were given by the persons, or 
acquired in the manner in the inquisition mentioned, for 
the reparation of the highways in and near Leeds, the 
use of the poor of the parish of Leeds, and the mainten- 
ance and support of the free grammar school of Leeds. It 
was also found that the Moot Hall, then lately erected in the 
town, was built out of the money belonging to the poor; 
but that John Metcalf, the under bailiff of the town, had 
converted the rent of part of the building to his own 
use. It was also found, that by a decree of the court 
of the Duchy of Lancaster, toll was taken of all com 
exposed in the market for sale, called the "Toll dish," 



64 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1619-1623. 

which was distributed as follows : — one third to the bailiff, 
then the principal officer in the town for his OAvn use ; one 
third for the use of the poor ; and the other third was used 
to repair the high^^ ays. These tolls were collected by 
the said John Metcalf and also appropriated to his own use. 
The Commissioners by their Decree ordered a committee to 
be appointed to manage the said charities, and to see that 
the profits arising therefrom should be apportioned in manner 
before mentioned. The collection of the toll was abandoned 
about the close of the last century, on account of its being 
only about £,70 per annum, and the great opposition expe- 
rienced by the officers in its collection. The duke of 

Buckingham, in 1619, first used a coach with six horses, — 
a piece of pomp which the duke of Northumberland thought 
proper to ridicule by setting up one with eight. Charles I. 
was the first British sovereign who had a state carriage. 

1620. Dr. TF'i^Kams, dean' of Westminster, and subsequently 
archbishop of York, received the sea's of office, which were 
taken from the learned lord chancellor Bacon, who was con- 
victed of bribery, sentenced to pay a fine of £40,000, and 
to be imprisoned during the king's pleasure. 

Adam Baynes, Esq. of Knostrop, " Parliament man for 
Leeds," during the Commonwealth, was born Dec. 22nd, this 

year, ohit Dec. 1670. A board of Trade was instituted 

by James I. One of the reasons assigned in the commission 
was " to remedy the low price of wool, which begat complai- 
nts of the decay of the woollen manufacture." Though the 
price of wool afterwards rose to thirty-three shillings a tr)d 
(281bs.) nine-tenths of the commerce of the kingdom con- 
sisted of woollen goods. The exportation of wool was 
forbidden by proclamation, and the company of Merchant 
Adventurers, by patent, possessed the sole commerce of the 
woollen manufacture. 

1621. The power of licensing public houses was first 
granted to Sir Giles Montpesson and Sir Francis Michel. 

1622. Feb. 14. A terrible accident occurred at Blackfriars 
in London, which obtained the name of the ' Fatal Vespers.' 
The Roman catholics had met in considerable numbers to 
celebrate the mass, when the floor giving way, the M'hole 
congregation were suddenly engu phed, and upwards of a 
hundred persons lost their lives. 

1623. March 10th. Died Dr. John Favour, for thirty years 
vicar of Halifax, and author of antiquity triumphing over 
novelty. " In this vicar's time there lived in the town, one 
Richard Commons, an Irishman, by occupation a goldsmith, 
a common drunkard and blasphemer of God's holy word, 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 65 

1623.-1626. 

Avheii he had spent all he cou'd make, he set fire to some 
straw in the four corners of his house, (now the Angel Inn,) 
and hanged himself in the midst. Thus desperately he died, 
but by God's merciful providence the straw took not fire, 
and so both house and town were preserv'd, which he pur- 
pos'd to burn. He was buried a little above the town, in a 
place where four ways meet, now well known by the name 
of Goldsmith's Grave.''' — Wright's antiquities of Halifax, 
printed at Leeds in 1738. 

1624. John Lake was born at Halifax, where he received 
his first education at the grammar school ; thence he was 
sent to St. John's college, Cambridge, where, before he was 
thirteen years of age, he took the degree of B.A. In 1660 
he was, after much opposition, inducted vicar of Leeds. On 
October 9th, 1680, he was installed archdeacon of Cleve- 
land, and consecrated bishop of Sodor and Man, in 1682. 
He was translated to Bristol in 1684, and to Chichester in 
1685. He died August 30th, 1689, and was buried in St. 

Botolph's church, London. In this year the benevolent 

John Harrison '' built the Leeds grammar school in North- 
street, in the middle of half an acre of his own land, and 
enclosed it with a fair stone wall." The following is an 
extract from his w 11, in which he refers to this beneficial 
endowment: — "Whereas, I have of my own charge and 
upon my own land, erected and builded one new house, now 
used and employed for a grammar school, and walled the 
yard thereunto belonging with a stone wall, as the same 
abutteth upon the lands of Henry Royds upon the north, and 
upon my own lands upon the south-east and west — my mind 
and will is, that the same shall be for a master and ushers 
to teach scholars in for ever, and for that end and purpose, 
I do give the said house, garth, and wall, &c." An apart- 
ment, used as a library, was added by Godfrey Lawson, Esq., 
in 1792. The library comprised several ancient books, in- 
cluding folio editions of some of the works of the fathers. 
The Rev. Samuel Puilen, afterwards archbishop of Tuam, 
was first master of this seminary. 

162.5. March 27th. Charles I. ascended the throne, and in 
June of the same year, London was again visited with the 

plague, which swept away 35,417 persons. An act 

passed for the incorporation of the manufacturers of Sheffield y 
by the name of the company of Cutlers of Hallamshire. 

1626. The borough of Leeds was incorporated by Charles 

I. The first mayor was Sir John Savile, afterwards 

lord Savile, whose arms, known by the name of " Hullarts," 
was adopted by the town. John Clayton, Esq. was the 



6G ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1626.-1633. 

first recorder, and George Bannister the first town clerk. 
By this charter it is seen that the market was formerly held 
on a Monday. Lord Bacon died this year, aged sixty- 
five. He rose from a comparatively humble position, to be 
lord high chancellor of England. 

1628. Jmie 5th. The south-east pinnacle and corner of the 
steep'e of Halifax Church were struck off by lightning, and 
the stones which fell broke down much of the timber, slate, 
and battlement. 

1629. The Leeds Workhouse, then called the house of cor- 
rection, was built this year, and enlarged in 1636, and again 
in 1736. 

163J. Armley chapel of Ease was built about this time, 
but was not consecrated as a burial place till 1674. In 1765 
the vicar of Leeds and the inhabitants had a long contest 
for the presentation to this chapel, and the lord chancellor 

decreed in favour of the former in 1766.- Sir John Savile, 

of Howley, died August 31st, this year, aged seventy-four. 

1631. The manor of Wakefield was granted by the crown 
to the earl of Holland, whose daughter, about twenty years 
afterwards, was married to Sir Gervase Clifton, knight and 
bart., to whom he gave the manor of Wakefield as her 
marriage portion. Not long afterwards Sir Gervase Clifton 
sold it to Sir Christopher Clapham, whose heirs again dis- 
posed of it in 1700, to the duke of Leeds, in the possession 
of whose family it still remains. 

1632. March 15th, Henry Ramsden, vicar of Halifax, grant- 
ed Richard Sunderland, Esq., of Copley, a license to eat 
flesh during the time of h s illness, as the law of the land 
in that case provided, and on the 18th March, the same 
license was granted to Abraham Sunderland, of high Sun- 
derland. In the Leeds parish reg ster of this date, 

(November li. or xx.) is this note, " Richard Sawer, of 
Vicar-lane, had two strange children baptized, named 
Richards : Dnere et Mirare.''' Tradition reports them to 
have been joined together, having but one body below the 
navel. 

1. .-. 1633. The contests between king Charles I. and the Par- 

y' liament shook Yorkshire to its centre, but before they had 

commenced, the king was entertained three da3''s in York, 

on his way from Scotlnnd. While in York he knighted 

the lord mayor, the recorder, and the archbishop's son. 

Charles I. visited Pontefract, when he created Sir John 
Savile, knight, high steward of the honour of Pontefract, 
and, by letters patent, advanced him to the dignity of a baron 
of the realm, by the title of baron Savile of Pontefract., 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 67 

1633.-1638. 

His son inherited the title, and Avas created earl of Sussex, 
hut the family became extinct in his grandson James. 

The corporation of Hull sent two casks of sturgeon, with 
a butt or«ack, to the archbishop of York, who, in return, 
sent " two lovely bucks," as venison for the mayor and 
aldermen. 

1634. St. John's church, in Leeds, was built by John 
Harrison, Esq., of Pawdmijre, who commenced it in 1631, •* 
and finished it in 1631, ha^ ing endowed it with £80 per 
annum, besides £10 a year for repairs. It was consecrated 
September 21st, 1634, by archbishop Neile. The first min- 
ister was the Rev. Robert Todd, M.A., who was suspended 

on the very day he commenced his function. This year 

the Corporation Charter of Halifax parish and the gov- 
ernment of the Avorkhouse Avas granted. In 1635 orders 
were made for such strangers as Avere likely to become 
chargeable to the town to be removed. Such as kept 
them in their families contrary to order were fined or 
compelled to give security that they should not become 
chargeable to the toAvn. Those who Avere convicted of 
swearing, using or keeping gaming houses, and tippling 
at unseasonable hours, Avere fined; such as embezzled or 
spoiled their Avork, or a\ ere idle, unruly, or made a prac- 
tice of begging, were Avhipped, set to work, or sent to 
their place of settlement. 

1635. Sir Arthur Ingram's house at Temple NcAvsome 
Avas burnt dov\'n and "household stuff" Avorth £'4000 

consumed. The plague raged at Hull till 1638, and 

carried off 2,730 persons, besides leaving as many more 
in extreme Av^ant. Collections were made for the sur- 
viving sufferers throughout England. 

1636. Hunslet chattel Avas built this year, and enlarged 
in 1774. 

1838. In the chapel-yard of Ribston, is placed a very 
curious sepulchral monument of a standard bearer of the 
9th Roman Legion, Avhich Avas dug up in the 3''ear 1630 
in Trinity gardens, near Micklegate, in York. The stone 
is six feet high, and two feet in breadth — the top of an 
angular form : near the bottom of the stone is a Latin 
inscription, above Avhich stands the figure of a Roman 
soldier, Avith the ensign of a cohort or manipulus in his 
right hand, and a corn meter in his left, (corn being once 
part of the pay of a Roman soldierj. The inscription is 
thus translated : — " L. Lucius Rufinus, of Vienne, son of 
Lucius of the Voltinian tribe, (and) Standard-bearer of 
the 9th Legion for twenty-eight years, is buried here.*' 



68 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1638.-1639. 

Brian Fairfax, Esq., rescued this antique relic from being 

demoiislied by the workmen, who had broken it in the 

middle, and were about to prepare it for building-stone. 

It appears from the household book at Skipton Castle, 
that the luxuries of life were extremely dear at this time; 
there is an item which says, "paid for four score lb. of 
sugar for my lady £4 " ; but all the common necessaries 
of life were very cheap ; animal food, in particular, bore 
a low price ; a fat wether would not have purchased 
two pounds of sugar. Another item in 1633-4 says, "paid 
to Captayne Eobinson, by my lord's command for 
writing letters of news to his lordship for half-a-year £5." 
Before the introduction of printed newspapers, it appears 
that the great families had gazetteers in London, who 
transmitted to them the news of the day in written 
letters, and the practice was continued by this family 

till the 5^ear 1687. John Harrison, Esq., having 

founded, erected, and endowed the church or chapel of St. 
John the Evangelist, in Leeds, by indenture dated the 6th 
September, this year, vested the patronage or advowson 
thereof, in the vicar of the parish church, and the alderman 
and three of the senior principal burgesses of the town 
and borough for the time being. By the 73rd sec. of the 
Municipal Corporation Act, any four members of the 
council of the borough are eligible to be elected trustees 

along with the vicar. In 163S, the alderman of the 

borough received a writ sent at the suggestion of the king 
for Leeds to pay its quota of ship money, namely, £70, to 
provide a fleet to protect the trade of the kingdom. 

The directions for the levying of the money were : — 
"First, ther is required expedic'on; secondly, that noe poore 
labouring people be assessed, but such as have estates in 
lands or goods, or live by some gainful trade, for it is con- 
ceived that the assessing poore people will cause a clamour 
and p'judice the, service, which, in itself, is most honour- 
able and just ; thirdly, that the clergie be used with all 
favour." 

1639. About this time, John Harrison, Esq., the great 
benefactor to Leeds, purchased Rockley-hall, in that town, 
which was made of wood, and of a very antique form; 
instead of deal boards for floors, oak planks were used, 
and of such a thickness that joists were made of them for 
part of the new brick building that succeeded it in name 
and place. This he gave to pious uses. Alderman 
Harrison also founded the hospital near St. John's, in 
Leeds. 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 69 

1639. 

In the reign of Charles I., a Mrs. Isabel Denton, of 
Beeston, near Leeds, invented straw hats and bonnets. 
Necessity in this case was truly the mother of invention, 
for this woman was cursed with a prodigal husband, and 
had to provide for a numerous family by her own skill and 
labour. Her hats and bonnets had a ready and profitable 
sale, and fhus she was able to maintain her family in 
comfort and respectability until her death. At this time 
one tirm in Leeds sold £7000 Avorth of bonnets in a year. 

1639 to 1644.— Civil AVars— Eight years after Charles 
I. had mounted the British throne, and before evil advisers 
had embroiled him with his parliament and people, he visi- 
ted the city of York, on his Avay from Scotland to London, 
and received a loyal and cordial welcome. Six years 
afterwards, on the 30th of March, 1639, the Scots having 
broken out into open rebellion, the king came down to 
York, on an expedition against the insurgents. During the 
king's residence in York, he kept the festival, called 
'■'• Maunday Thursday,'''' in the cathedral. 

The king of England was accvTstomed on Maunday Thursday, (the 
day before Good Friday, called also Shere Thursday, from the 
practice which the priests had of shearing their hair on this day to 
make themselves as trim as possible for Easter,) to have brought 
before him as many poor men as he was years old whose feet he 
washed with his own hands, after which his majesty's maunds, con- 
sisting of m'^at, clothes, and money were distributed amongst them. 
This strange ceremonial, was last performed in its full extent by 
James 11. King "William left the washing to his Almoner; and 
such was the arrangement many years afterwards. ' Thursday, 
April 15th, (f/^l,) being Maunday Thursday-, there was disttibuted 
at Whitehall to forty-eight poor men, and forty-eight poor women, 
(the king's [Geo. II.] age being forty-eight,) boiled beef and slioulders 
of mutton, and small bowls of ale ; after that large wooden platters 
of fish, and loaves. After which were distributed to them shoes, 
stockings, linen and woollen cloth, and leathern bags, with one 
penny, twopenny, threepenny, and fourpenny pieces of silver and 
shillings, — to each about ^4 in value. His grace the lord arch- 
bishop of York, lord high Almoner, performed the annual ceremony 
of washing the feet of a certain number of poor in the royal chapel, 
"Whitehall, which was formerly done by the king's themselves, in 
imitation of our Saviour's pattern of humility. For a number of 
years the washing of the feet and other ceremonies has been given 
up, and since the beginning of the reign of queen Victoria, an 
additional sum of money has been given in lieu of provisions. 

Having spent a month in York, his majesty and his 
nobles at the head of the army marched towards Scotland. 
On his approach the Scots laid down their arras, and 



70 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1639.-1642. 

swore allegiance. Next year, when the king had dis- 
banded his army, the earl of Leven, and the marquis of 
Montrose entered England, at the head of a Scotch army, 
on hearing of which, the king left London and came 
to York, where he convened a great council of all the 
peers of England, to meet and attend his majesty there. 

1640. The long parliament assembled on the third day of 
November, and immediately proceeded to vote down 
the Council Court of York, and committed the king's first 
ministers, the earl of Strafford and archbishop Laud, upon 
charges of high treason. They reversed the sentences 
formerly passed against Hampden and others; obtained 
the king's assent to their bill for triennial parliaments ; 
procured the abolition of monopolies; and an answer from 
his majesty relative to his method of raising supplies by 
forced loans, tonnage and poundage, ship money, and other 
expedients. They sent commissioners into the several 
counties "for the defacing, demolishing, and quite taking 
away all images, altars, or tables turned altarwise, 
crucifixes, superstitious pictures, monuments, and reliques 
of idolatry, out of all churches and chapels." The speeches 
of members of parliament were now first published. This 
parliament %vas brought to a close on the 9th day of Sep- 
tember, 1641. 

1642. The king with his son Charles, prince of Wales, 
the duke of York, and several noblemen, left London, and 
on the 18th of March arrived at York, where most of the 
nobility and gentry of the north received him with suitable 
demonstrations of loyalty. His majesty's first care, on his 
arrival in Yorkshire, was to secure the vast magazines in 
the fortress of HuUy consisting of all the arms and ammu- 
nition of the forces levied against the Scots ; with this 
view he repaired to that port in person, and required Sir 
John Hotham, the governor, who had received his com- 
mission from the parliament, to deliver up the possession. 
Sir John, perceiving that matters v/ere drawing to a crisis, 
shut the gates, and refused to admit the king, though he 
requested leave to enter with twelve persons only. 

The king afterwards determined to form the siege of 
Hull, for this purpose he mustered 3,000 foot and 800 horse, 
and marched towards the obnoxous town. On hearing of 
his approach, Hotham determined that the surrounding 
countrj'- should be laid under water. The sluices were 
immediately pulled up, and the banks of the Humber cut, 
so that the next day Ijy the aid of the spring tides, the 
meadows and pastures, to the extent of two miles on every 



THE SURROUNDI^'G DISTRICT. 71 

1642. 

side of Hull were inundated with water. The king soon 
after resolved to raise the siege and clear off his forces. 

Civil war seemed now inevitable. Every county, city, 
village, and hamlet of England resounded with the din 
of warlike preparation. The queen, Henrietta of France, 
was sped to Holland to pawn the crown jewels for 
arms and ammunition. The great mass of the nobility, 
gentry, and populace, except that of London, were 
gathering, or preparing to gather, round the king. The 
burgess class and the yeomanry, especially of the south, 
west, and mfdland counties, were arming for the parlia- 
ment. In London, four thousand men enlisted in one 
da}'. Hampden was down in Buckinghamshire at the 
Urst signal, and soon got together tAvo thousand men, 
dressed in green coats. The carl of Essex, Sir William 
Waller, the earl of Manchester, (lord Kimbolton), held 
chief commands in the parliamentary arm)*. The king 
constituted the carl of Cumberland supreme commander 
of his forces, and appointed Sir Thomas Glembam governor 
of York. He then marched southward, and erected the 
royal standard at Nottingham, August 22nd. 

The chief strength of the parliament in Yorjcshire lay 
in the large manufacturing towns of the West-Kiding. 
The parliamentary army being now increased to 1,000 men, 
marched to Tadcaster, in order to guard the passes of the 
Wharf, and thus protect the friendly districts of the west. 

FiGHTj AT Wetherby. — Sir Thomas Fairfax was sent 
with 300 foot and 40 horse to take possession of Wetherby. 
This small force was surprised early one morning by a 
body of 800 men under Sir Thomas (ilemham, governor of 
York. The guards being asleep at their posts, enabled 
the enemy to steal partially into the town Avithout being 
discovered. The brave Sir Thomas, with but four men at 
their arms, withstood the shock of the enemy, and re- 
pulsed them, when major Carr, of the royalists, was slain. 
The attack was soon renewed, but in the midst of the 
conflict Fairfax's magazine was blown up, and produced 
so tremendous an explosion, that the royalists, believing 
the parliamentary forces had cannon, began to retreat 
towards York, and were pursued by Sir Thomas with his 
small body of horse, who took some prisoners. Sir Thomas 
lost eight or ten men, whereof seven were blown up with 
the powder. 

Fight at Tadcaster. — The fears and apprehensions of 
of the royalists caused them to solicit the aid of the carl 
of Newcastle, v/ho speedily marched from the north to- 



72 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1642. 

York with an army of 6,000 men, furnished with ten pieces 
of artillery, where he arrived on the 30th of November. 
Three days afterwards, he proceeded with 4,000 men and 
seven pieces of cannon to attack the enemy at Tadcaster. 
At the same time, the earl of Newport, with 2,000 men, 
was sent to attack Wetherby. Fairfax collected all his 
forces at Tadcaster. The earl began his attack about 
eleven o'clock in the morning, and continued until five in 
the evening, during which time more than 40,000 musket 
shots are said to have been discharged, besides the fire 
from the artillery ; but the slaughter bore no proportion 
to the shot expended, as the number killed on both sides 
did not exceed 300. The parliamentarians, seeing no 
prospect of holding their position, withdrew in the night 
to Selby, and the following morning the royalists marched 
into Tadcaster without opposition. Captain Lister, a 
valuable officer under Fairfax, was killed during the battle. 
"Captain Lister's son," says Thoresby, "passing through Tadcaster 
some years after, had the curiasity to inquire of the sexton where his 
father was buried ? To which the sexton replied by showing him a 
skull, just dug up, which he averred was the head of the captain. On 
examining the skull, a bullet, was found lodged in it, and this testimony 
to the truth of the grave digger's words so struck the young man, that 
he sickened at tlie sight, and died soon after." 

By the defeat at Tadcaster, the parliamentary army was 
cut off from its friends and supplies in the West-Riding, 
for Newcastle's army occupied the towns of Sherburn, 
Ferrybridge, and Pontefract — however, Sir Thomas, in a 
night march, eluded all their vigilance, passed all their 
posts, and reached Bradford with three troops of horse, 
300 foot, and some arms, about the end of the year 1642. 

1642. Dec. First Siege of Bradford. — Before the arrival 
of Sir Thomas Fairfax, a bod}'^ of the king's forces, num- 
bering about 800 men, were sent from the garrison at 
Leeds to occupy the town. They encamped at Undercliff, 
about a mile distant from the town, whence they marched 
to the assault; the townsmen met this attack with great 
resolution, and soon caused the assailants to retreat in 
great hurry and confusion back to Leeds. On the 18th day 
of December, the attempt was repeated by a larger force 
from Leeds, consisting of five troops of horse, six troops 
of dragoons, and 200 foot, commanded by colonel Goring, 
colonel Evans, Sir William Saville, and Sir John Good- 
ricke. About SO of the inhabitants had muskets, the rest 
were armed with clubs, spits, flails, halbards, scythes, and 
such like rustic weapons. The church was turned into a 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 73 

1642.-1643. 

fortress; the walls being hung round willi packs of wool, 
while their choicest marksmen Avere placed upon the 
tower. 

The royalists made repeated attempts to enter the town 
by storm; but were as often repulsed. About noon the 
inhabitants received a reinforcement from Halifax, and 
determined at once to make a general sally; therefore, 
watching their opportunity, they rushed out of the church, 
seconded by those in the lanes, and met the enemy face to 
face. The clubs, scythes, and rustic weapons of the towns- 
men did great execution ; and such was their fury that 
they would neither give nor take quarter. During the 
heat of this action, a young nobleman of the name of Sir 
John Hope, at the head ofa company of foot, being inadvance 
of his men was taken prisoner, asked for quarter, and was 
told he should have Bradford quarter: he was instantly 
slain, and his men seeing the fall of their leader, fled. 

At length the royalists retreated, having had more than 
100 men killed and wounded in the contest. On the side 
of the town, not more than five Avere killed and about 
twelve wounded. 

1643. At the beginning of this year, the greatest part 
of Yorkshire, with the capital, York, and the towns and 
fortresses of Leeds, Wakefield, Skipton, and Knaresborough, 
were in the hands of the royalists. 

Leed= taken by Sir Thomas Fairfax. — (3n the 23rd 
of January, Sir Thomas Fairfax determined to attack the 
garrison at Leeds, and accordingly marched from Bradford 
with six troops of horse, three companies of dragoons, 
one thousand musketeers, and 2000 clubmen. A trumpeter 
was dispatched to Sir William Savile, requiring the town 
to be delivered into the hands of Fairfax for the parlia- 
ment, to which Sir William returned a disdainful answer. 
The parliamentary general now approached the town on 
the south-west side, with colours flying, to begin the 
assault, which commenced about one o'clock in the after- 
noon; and in two hours the royalists were driven from 
their works and their cannoniers killed. Sir Thomas, and 
his brother, Sir William Fairfax, with Sir Henry Fowlis 
and Captain Forbes, cut their way through all opposition, 
and, entering the town sword in hand, at the head of 
their troops, soon got possession of the place, where they 
found two brass cannon, with a good store of ammunition, 
and took 500 prisoners, among whom were six officers. 
There is said to have been about forty slain. Sir William 
Savile fled and escaped being taken by crossing the river; 

7 



74 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1643. 

but Sergeant-major Beaumont was drowned in makings 
the attempt. 

The following memorandum occurs in the .register of 
burials at the Leeds Parish Church : — 

"23rd January, 1643. This M-as the day when Leeds was taken 
hy Sir Thomas Fairfax. Eleven soldiers slayne, buried 24th 
January — ten unpaid for; five more slain two or three days after j 
six more died of their wounds." 

The same register contains the following : — 

"Buried 1st April, 1643. Captain Boswell slain at Seacroft battel, 

and six soldiers. A gentleman and two common soldiers slain in 

Sobert Williamson's house, of Kunslet: buried 13th April, 1643. 

rive soldiers more slaiii — nine more in May ; .sixteen more iu June ; 

twelve more in July. 26 soldiers buried July and Augu.st, 1644." 

After the storming of Leeds, the royalists assumed a 
position at Seacroft, where they were assailed by the par- 
liamentarians, about the end of March, but they maintained 
their post, and the assailants were defeated with the 
slaughter of a few of their men. 

The town of Leeds in these turbulent times often changed 
masters ; but was never the scene of much bloodshed. 

1643. Charles's queen, Henrietta Maria, of France, 
landed at Bridlington quay, on the 20 1: h of February, with 
38 pieces of cannon, and 10,000 stand of small arms. The 
earl of Newcastle set out from York to meet the queen, 
and conveyed her majesty with the military stores to that 
city, where she arrived on the Sth of March. For this 
service he was created a marquis. 

Wakefield taken by Sir Thomas Fairfax. — The 
elder Fairfax being compelled to retreat from Selby, and 
Leeds and Bradford being the only places of strength held 
by the parliamentarians northward of Hull, Sir Thomas 
Fairfax determined to take the garrison of Wakefield, then 
in the possession of the king's forces, held by about 3,000 
men; and, accordingly on the morning of the 21th of May, 
1643, he, at the head of 1,100 horse and foot, marched from 
Leeds to attempt the reduction of that town. The battle 
commenced about four o'clock in the morning, and, after 
an hour and a half's hard fighting. Sir Thomas entered the 
town, took 500 prisoners, with 80 officers, 27 colours, and 
a large quantity of ammunition. 

A copy of a letter from lord Fairfax to the speaker, 
of the House of Commons giving particulars of this vic- 
tory has been kindly lent to the compiler by Mr. Denny, 
of Leeds. It is dated Leeds, 23rd May, 1643, and is signed 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. iO 

1643. 

' Fer Fairfax.' The letter, after stating 'that the rarl of 
Newcastle had possessed himself of Rotherham and 
Sheffield,' goes on to say that : — 

"The earl of Newcastle's army do now range over all the .>-outu- 
west part of this eountrv*, pillaging and cruellj usins the Avell-affected 
party; and here about Leeds, Bradford, and Hallifax, being a moun 
tainous barren country, the people now begin to be sensible of want, 
their last year provisions benig spent, and the enemies garrisons, 
stopping all the provisions both of corn and tiesh,and other necessaries 
that were wont to come from the more fruitful countrips to tliem : their 
tiade utterly taken away, their poor grow innumerable, and great 
scarcity to relieve them ; and this army, which )iow lyes amongst them 
to defend them from the enemy, cannot defend the:r. from want, v\-nich 
causeth much nuirmnre and lamentation amonizst the people; and for 
the army itself, it is so iar in arreare, an 1 no way appearing how they 
shall either be supplied -with money or succours as they grow very 
mutinous. Yet upon SatuTfl.iy last, in the night, I caused to be drawn 
out of the garrisons in Leeds, Bradford, Hallifax, and Howle3^ some 
horse, foot, and dragooners, in all about 1,500 men, and sent thein 
against Wakefield, commanded by my son, aiid assisted bv Major- 
generall Gilford, Sir Henry Fowles, and Sir William Fairfax, with 
divers other commanders ; they appeared before Wakefield about four 
o'clock on Sunday in the morning, where they fonnd the enemies (who 
had intelligence of their designe) ready to receive them ; there was in 
the towne general Goring, Sergeant-major general! Mackworth, the 
lord Goring, vrith many other principall commanders, and eminent 
persons, with about seven troops of horse, and six regiments, con- 
taining 3,000 foot; the towne well fortified with works and four pieces 
of ordinance, yet our men, both commanders and common souldiers, 
went on with undaunted couraires, and notwithstanding the thick 
volleys of small and great shots from the enemie, charged up to their 
works, which they entered, seized upon their ordinance, and turned 
them upon themselves, and pursued the enemy so close as tliey beat^ 
quite out of the towne the most part of the horse, and a great number 
of the foot, and made all the rest prisoners, and with them took four 
piece of ordinance, and all the ammunition then in the towne, and a 
great number of arms, and amongst the prisoners general! Goring 
himselfe, with divers oth^r commanders, and other common souldiers, 
in all about L500 rnen, and -l/ colours of foot, and three cornets of 
horse. When the towne was tlms taken, the}' found their number and 
strength too weak to keep it and their prisoners, so they left the place 
and marcht away with their booty, in takir.g the towne, we lost no 
man of note, and not above seven men in all ; but man,v of our rnen 
were shot and wounded." 

1643. June .'30th. — Battlc of Addcrtox ?dooR. — The 
marquis of Newcastle with an army of ten or twelve 
thousand men, advanced towards Bradford for the purpose 
of punishing the inhabitants for their former disloyalty. 
The Fairfaxe's with a force of but iJOOO men, met the 



76 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1643. 

royalists upon an open plain called Adderton moor, and 
determined to give battle. The contest was severe, and 
bloody. The parliamentarians w^ere defeated with great 
loss. 2000 men were killed and wounded on both sides, 
and that day and the next, about as many of Fairfax's 
army were taken prisoners Lord Fairfax fled to Brad- 
ford. Sir Thomas with a small body of horse escaped 
to Halifax, but next day joined his father in Bradford. 

July 16th. — Second Siege of Bradford. — The situation 
of the Fairfaxe's was now most perilous. Sir. Thomas 
had but 800 foot, and 60 horse to make the best defence 
he could against the large force of Newcastle. The 
church and steeple were again manned, and the latter 
again hung round with sheets of wool ; the royalist 
cannon were soon brought to bear upon it, and with 
such effect, " that the shot cut the cords whereon 
the sheets of w^ool hung, and down they fell, which the 
enemy immediately perceiving louldy huzzaed their fall." 
Two assaults were made and were beaten off. The be- 
sieged iinding it impossible to defend the place, and not 
liking to fall into Newcastle's hands. Sir Thomas with 
only fifty horsemen charged upon the enemy and cut his 
way through sword in hand. The wife and children of 
Fairfax were by his side when he took this dauntless 
resolution, the former was taken prisoner, but was shortly 
after sent back to her husband by the marquis of New- 
castle in his own coach. Sir Thomas got safe to Leeds ; 
about 80 of the foot also broke through and arrived there 
mounted on horses, which they had taken from the enemy. 

The lord Fairfax determined to retreat to Hull; after 
a most fatiguing march of sixty miles, harassed on all 
sides by the royalists, and a severe skirmish at Selby in 
which Sir Thomas was wounded, being shot through the 
wrist, they arrived at Hull in a miserable condition. 
Sir John Hotham the governor and his son having entered 
into a conspiracy to deliver up Hull to the king, were 
arrested and sent to London, and were subsequently exe- 
cuted on Tower Hill. 

After his success at Bradford, Newcastle made a kind 
of triumphal march through Yorkshire ; took Wakefield, 
Kotherham, and Sheffield. He then marched into Lin- 
colnshire where he took Gainsborough, and Lincoln, then 
marched through the associated counties and blocked 
up London on the side of Essex. Here he was stopped 
by the armies under the earl of Manchester and Oliver 
Cromwell. 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 77 

1643.-1644. 

1643. Thi>! year Eipoii was taken possession of and 
garrisoned for the parliament by Sir 'IMiomas Maitlevcrer 
who had raised a legimcnt of loot and another of horse 
at his own expeiijie. The parliamentarians liaA'ing destroy- 
ed several of the monuments and other ornamental parts 
of the minster, and treated some of the inhabitants with 
great cruelty ; Sir John Mallorj' an active royalist then 
governor of Skipton castle, at the head of a detachment 
of the king's horse, surprised Mauleverer's main guard 
then stationed in the market place, and routed the Avhole 
of his forces, took several prisoners, and drove the rest 
with precipitation from the town. 

1644. Siege of York. — Sir Thomas Fairfax havinp- gained 
a considerable victory over the royalist force at Selby, and 
being joined by the Scots at Wetherby, under the earl of 
Leven, M-ith the united forces, to the number of 16,000 
foot and 4,000 horse, advanced to besiege York, which city 
they invested, except the north side on the 19th of April. 
The earl of Manchester Avith 6,000 foot and 3,000 horse, of 
the la:>t of vv'hich Oliver ('romwell was lieutenant-general, 
soon after arrived at York to assist the besiegers, and the 
siege was pushed with vigour. Numerous assaults were 
made, and bravely repelled ; sallies vrere made by the be- 
sieged in which they Avere defeated and driven back with 
great loss ; their convoys of provisions were intercepted; 
batteries were erected from which ar almost incessant lire 
was maintained, the walls Avere breached and partially 
destroyed ; mines were sprung Avith considerable effect, 
and a scarcity of provisions began to be felt by the garrison 
and citizens. The king seeing that matters Avere draAving 
to a crisis sent off a pressing order to prince Rupert to 
hasten to the relief of the city. On the evening of the 30th 
of June, intelligence Avas received that the prince Avith an 
armv of 20,000 men was advancing towards the place, and 
that the same night his forces would be quartered in the 
towns of Boroughbridge and Knaresborough. 

Battle of Mar.^tox Moor. — On the approach of prince 
Rupert the siege of York Avas raised. He with the com- 
bined royalists marched in pursuit of the Scotch and 
English forces. They soon overtook them, drawn up in 
grim array on INIarston moor, in a position excellent as a 
defensive one, but not suitable for attack. Along the front 
of the parliamentarians ran a deep, wide drain ; their left, 
where CromM^ell commanded, Avas protected, and at the 
same time held back, by an extensive tract of broken and 
difficult ground. The right was free and clear. Rupert 



78 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1644. 

hesitated to attack men so strongly posted, and the two 
armies together perhaps about 60,000 men, stood gazing at 
each other till a quarter past seven o'clock in the evening 
of the 2nd of July 1644. Cromvi^ell could remain inactive 
no longer, and with a brief, passionate address to his 
Ironsides, he went off to make a circuit on the left, in order 
to fall upon the flank of the ' dissolute Goring.' Manches- 
ter and Loudon, seeing this, advanced their infantry, and 
the battle on the right commenced at the same time. The 
light in the centre was terrific: the infantry and cavalry of 
Newcastle and Goring sweeping the men as they emerged 
from the drain they were compelled to pass, with fiery 
destruction Accounts vary Avith respect to this attack of 
the main body of the Scotch and English infantry. Some 
writers assert that the parliamentary troops were after 
prodigious efforts, thrown into irretreviable confusion, and 
that Manchester, Loudon, Fairfax, and others, abandoned, 
or were about to abandon the field. Others say that the 
fight in the centre was obstinately and equally disputed. 
It is, however, quite certain that the right, where Fairfax 
commanded, was broken through, defeated and dispersed. It 
was more than half-past eight o'clock when the dark 
squadrons of the Ironsides, having at last extricated them- 
selves from the broken and tangled ground, were seen 
charging upon Newcastle's flank. In brief space the aspect 
of affairs changed, and the royalist infantry were either 
dispersed or slain. But the battle was not yet ended. 
There was Rupert's triumphant cavalry returned from vic- 
torious pursuit, and far more numerous than Cromwell's 
horsemen to encounter. The ranks of the Ironsides, slightly 
disordered by victory, closed sternly up at the call of Crom- 
well, and again his piercing tones, echoed by thousands of 
voices, ran along the line. — ' The sword of the Lord and 
of Gideon ! ' — and prince Rupert was literally swept from 
the field, with frightful carnage. Rupert himself only 
escaping by the fleetness of his horse. CromAvell in his 
letter to the Speaker of the Commons, dated July 5th, 
1644, says : — 

* We never charged but we routed the enemy. The left wing which 
I commanded being our own hnrse, saving a few Scots in our rear, beat 
all the princes' horse. God made them as stubble to our swords! We 
charged their regiments of foot with our horse, and routed all w«! 
charged ; and of the large army the prince brought into the field, ' Oliver, 
though he was too hurried to give the particulars, is of opinion ' that 
Rupert has not more than 4,000 men remaining with him.' 



THE surroundi>;g district. 79 

1644. 

It was ten o'clock before the battle and pursuit had 
ended, and the summer moon, as she arose threw her pale, 
melancholy light upon the white deaih-faces of5,000 Scotch 
and Englishmen, slain there by kindred hands ! The con- 
querors had good right to be proud of their dear bought 
victory; 4000 of their enemies lay slain upon the field; 
1,500, mostly men of note, taken prisoners ; the capture 
of all the prince's material of war, consisting of 25 pieces 
of ordnance, 47 colours, 10,000 stand of arms, two waggons 
loaded with carbines and pistols, 130 barrels of powder, 
and all their bag and baggage. 

In the year 1857 as some navvies vrere making a drain at a con- 
siderable depth throuuh Marston moor they cut into the burial pits of 
the slain in this battle. The foreman of the work says " We cut 
twelve 3*ards Ion;? and about eight feet wide through the grave, and 
found most bodies about four feet from the surface, but I consider that 
we got to the bottom of it, as we took two ' draws' (diggings) throngh 
it after and the ground below seemed untouched. At one place bodies, 
about 20 or 25 of them, were laid one over the other in all directions 
and postures, — the forms of many were left in the clay. At this place 
there was much of a sort of deposit that looked like soot, not slime, 
but damp ; the smell at first was intolerable, and could be felt at some 
distance ; it was so bad that the men could only work short spells. 
The skulls had preserved their shape, but crumbled away when ex- 
posed to the air. There was a bullet in one skull, which dropped out 
when the skull fell to pieces ; the bones especially, the large ones did 
not crumble away, but were very brittle when touched with the spade. 
The teeth were quite perfect, and many of them were taken away by 
the drainers." 

On the 16th of July, York surrendered to the forces of 
parliament on the most favourable terms to the besieged. 
The siege had continued nearly thirteen weeks, in which 
the garrison repulsed twenty-two attempts to carry the 
city by storm and four countermines ; and 4,000 or 5000 of 
the enemy had fallen before its walls. On its surrender, 
the parliamentary generals entered the city in solemn 
procession, and went directly to the cathedral, where a 
psalm was sung, and the following day was observed as a 
day of general thanksgiving. York, being thus subjected 
to the parliament, lord Ferdinand Fairfax was made its 
governor; and he, and his son Sir Thomas, received com- 
missions to reduce all the garrisons in this county that 
still held out for the king — a commission which in a short 
time they effected. After the whole kingdom was brought 
under subjection to the parliament, York was dismantled 
of its garrison, with the exception of Clifford's tower, of 



80 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 
1640.-1644. 

which the lord mayor was appointed governor, and con- 
tinued to hold that commission for several years. 

1640. Feb. 10. Judge Berkley was arrested on his seat; 
in the court of king's bench, and sent to prison for giving 
his opinion in favour of ship mone}'", and was fined 
£10,000. 

1642. In lord Clarendon's history, Leeds, Halifax, and 
Bradford are called three very populous and rich towns, 
depending wholly on clothiers. 

1643. Jenkinson's and Daily's almshouses, the most 
ancient of their kind in the town, were founded this year 
by Josias Jenkinson, and were formerly situated at Quebec, 
Mill-hill, but have since been rebuilt at "Woodhouse. Eight 
poor widows, nominated by the trustees, receive about £5 
each 3^early. The messuage and lands at great Woodhouse, 
the site on which the houses noAv stand, were also devised 
by Josias Jenkinson. Elizabeth Dally, by Avill in 1800, 
gave the vicar of Leeds, the minister of St. John's, the 
Holy Trinity and St. Paul's, and their successors, £200 to 
be placed at interest for the benefit of the poor widows re- 
siding in Jenkinson's almshouses ; but, owing to the 
principal acting executor dying in 1809, in embarrased 
circumstances, no part of this legacy was received till 
November, 1S23, when the sum of £110 3s. 7d. was paid, 
which sum is invested in the three-per-cents reduced an- 
nuities, and the dividends distributed among the alms- 
people. Jan. 4th, two soldiers were hanged at 

Halifax, on a gallows made near the gibbet, for deserting 
from the parliament army at Halifax to the king's forces 
at Heptonstall ; they were taken by Sir Francis Mack- 
worth's company, and executed the same niglit. About this 
time an obstinate action took place at the top of Halifax 
bank, adjoining the road to Wakefield : this gave the place 
the name of Bloody Field. 

1644. Archbishop Sharp was born at Bradford, on the 

16th of February. Dr. Richard Richardson, of Bierley, 

built the second hothouse known in the north of England, 
in which he for some time kept a seedling of one of the 
first cedars of Libanus ever planted in England. This 
cedar had when Dr. Whitaker wrote, attained the cir- 
cumference of twelve feet four inches. Tickhill castle, 

(between Doncaster and Rotherham), after a siege of only 
two days, was taken by the parliamentary forces. 

The earl of Manchester sent a large force to reduce 
Sheffield castle, but, in order to preveut the effusion of blood, 
a summons was sent to major Beaumont, requiring him to 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 81 

1644. 

surrender it, which M-as answered by a volley of shot, and 
a re})ly that the garrison " would hold no parley." The 
besiegers now erected tAvo batteries, and kept their cannon 
playing upon the fortress for twenty-four hours, without 
any visible effect. Finding that the siege Avould be pro- 
tracted, major Crawford sent to lord Fairfax for the 
" queen's pocket pistol," and a whole culveriu, which 
being brought to the spot, played with such fatal effect, 
that the garrison was forced to capitulate, and the castle 
was surrendered to the parliamentary general on the 11th 
of August. The castle was soon afterwards rendered un- 
tenable, by order of parliament. 

On the 20th December, after a siege of more than three 
weeks, Knaresbro' castle also surrendered. In the castle 
were found four pieces of tine ordnance, a large store of 
arms, powder, and ammunition ; a considerable quantity 
of specie and plate to the value of £1,500, ^vith other 
valuable booty. About this time, the privilege of re- 
turning a member to serve in parliament, was conferred on 
Leeds. Adam Baynes, Esq., of Knostrop, an ot^cer in the 
parliamentary army was returned, and was the only re- 
presentative the borough had till the passing of the reform 
act in 1S32. 

A terrible plague raged in Leeds for nine months, during 
the year l()44-5, by which 1,335 persons died; "probably, 
says Dr. "SVhitaker, '-a fifth part of the entire population 
of the town." It raged most violently in Vicar-lane. It 
was also very bad in Marsh-lane, the Calls, Call-lane, lower 
Briggate, and ^lill-hill. The streets were grass grown, 
the markets "were removed to ^^"oodhouse moor, and divine 
service was suspended. " The air in June, when the 
greatest number died, was very warm, and so infectious 
that dogs and cats, mice and rats, died ; also several birds 
in their flight over the town dropped down dead." 

Alice, the w^ife of John Musgrave, of Vicar-lane, is 
supposed to have been the first victim — she was buried 
at the Leeds parish church. 11th March, 1644. The register 
of burials at the parish church could not be kept during 
the plague, and the following memorandum in the register 
explains the reason : — 

" These were all the names which came to our notice .since the ould 
church doores were shut up for all the rest have died in plague time. 
You may take them in general, a.s they are brought in weekly to 
major Carter, who was then governor of the town." 

Here follow the weekly returns from the 12th March to 
the 25th December, making a total of 1,325. The register 



82 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1644. 

also says that three persons were buried in the Mr. Vicar's 
croft. 

In November, 1790, as some workmen were digging clay in a field 
now occupied by part of George's-street, they discovered fifty oak 
coffins coutaining human bones, and supposed to have been deposited 
there at the time of the plague. 

1G44. First Siege of Poxtefract Castle. — Immediate]}'- 
after the surrender of York, detachments of troops were 
sent to besiege the castle at Pontefract, then occupied by 
the king's friends. The garrison kept the enemy at bay 
for several months, and were at times reduced to the 
greatest distress for want of provisions. On the 19th of 
Januar}^ 1645, after an incessant cannonade against the 
walls of the castle, the Pix tower gave way, and by its 
fall carried part of the walls along with it, by which a 
breach was made; but whilst the castle was thus assailed 
its defenders were not inactive. A shot from the castle 
struck a match belonging to the enemy, and some sparks 
falling into the powder, it instantly exploded and killed 
twenty-seven men. By a well directed fire of musketry, 
the besieged obliged their enemy to keep their distance, 
and frequently did considerable execution, 

1645. On the 21st of January, general Langdale, one of 
the royalist generals, at the head of 2000 horse came to 
the relief of the garrison. He attacked the besiegers, and 
compelled them to retire from the place in great disorder, 
and with considerable loss. 

Second Sieje of Pontefract. — On general Langdale's 
departure, the parliamentarian troops again besieged Pon- 
tefract castle. On the 2ist of March, 1645, the enemy 
took possession of the town, and after four months of in- 
cessant cannonades, attacks, and sorties, the garrison, 
being reduced to a state of famine, surrendered the castle 
by an honourable capitulation on the 20th of July. Sir 
Thomas Fairfax "vvas appointed governor, but as he was 
sufficiently employed in the field, he placed colonel Cotterel 
in the castle as his substitute. 

In the month of October, Sandal castle, near Wakefield, 
which had been for some time held for the king by colonel 
Bonivant, surrendered to the arms of parliament, and was 
soon after dismantled. 

On the 22nd of December, Skipton castle surrendered 
to the arms of the parliament after a blockade of three 
years, by the parliamentary generals Lambert, Poyntz, 
and Rossiter ; the earl of Cumberland, its OAvner being 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 83 

1645.-1646. 

then lord-lieuteiiaiit of Yorkshire, and Sir John Mallory, 
of Studley; an old and faithful royalist the governor. 

1645. June 3rd. Died Mr. Nathaniel Waterhouse, of 
Halifax, a great benefactor to the poor of that town. His 
gravestone bore this inscription : — 

The church and poor I left my heirs, 
My friends to order my affairs : 

My soul I sent before to try 
What is provided in eternity; 

My earthly part lies here, you see. 
Hoping to rise ; that's best for me. 
The king, having constituted secretary lord Digby 
lieutenant-general of all his forces north of the river Trent, 
his lordship advanced by the route of Doncaster towards 
York. On his arrival at Sherburn, near Ferrybridge, he 
stopped to refresh his troops, where information reached 
him that colonel Copley, an officer in the service of parlia- 
ment, was advancing with a body of troops. Digby 
presently' "summoned to horse," aad marched with a 
party of his troops out of the town to meet the enemy, 
■whom he fell upon and put to flight. Copley's discomfited 
folloNvers fled through Sherburn, pell null, when that part 
of the royal army which had not been engaged in the fight, 
supposing that the fugitives were their comrades, and that 
they bad suffered a defeat, mounted their horses and dis- 
persed in every direction. At this critical moment, a troop 
of the parliamentary forces which had remained upon the 
field unbroken, fell upon lord Digby and those around him, 
and drove them to Skipton castle. By this fatal catas- 
trophe, Bigby's army, which had raised high expectations, 
was broken up; his baggage, containing his cabinet papers, 
fell into the hands of the enemy, to the high gratification 
of the parliamentary party. Sir Richard Hutton, high 
sheriff of Yorkshire, who had espoused the royal cause, 
was left dead upon the field. 

1646. King Charles, having surrendered himself to the 
Scots, was taken by (hem to Nev/castle-upon-Tyne, and 
on his road lodged in the Red -hall, at Leeds, so called 
because of its being the first house in Leeds built of brick. 
The window which lighted the room in which he was 
confined, is that to the extreme right in the second story 
on the north side of the house. A maid servant of the 
house entreated him to put on her clothes, and make his 
escape, assuring him that she would conduct him in the 
dark out of the garden door, into a back alley, called 



84 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 
1646.-1648. 

Land's-lane, and thence to a friend's house, whence he 
might escape to France. The king, however, declined the 
woman's offer, but with many thanks, and gave her for a 
token " The Garter,''' saying, that if it were never in his 
power, on sight of that token, his son would reward her. 
After the Restoration, the woman presented the token to 
the king, and told him the story. The king enquired 
whence she came ? She said, from Leeds, in Yorkshire. 
Whether she had a husband ? iShe replied, yes. — What was 
his calling? She said, an under bailiff. Then, said the 
king, he shall be chief bailiff in Yorkshire. The man 
afterwards built Crosby-house, in Upperhead-row, Leeds. 

1646. An anecdote is related of the celebrated Harrison, 
that he obtained permission to present to his majesty 
during his stay in the Red-hall, a tankard of excellent ale, 
but on the king opening the lid of the tankard, he found, 
instead of the expected beverage, that the vessel was 
filled with gold, which he immediately contrived with 
great dexterity to hide about his person. 

1647. Matthew Broadley, of London, gentleman, by will, 
dated 15th of October, this year, left £500 to establish a 
free grammar school, at Hipperholme-cum-Brighouse, which 
is now called " Sunderland's charity." 

1648.-9. On Tuesday morning the 30th of January, this 
year — Charles I. was beheaded in the open street before 
Whitehall. 

The death-warrant was as follows : — 

" To colonel Francis Hacker, colonel Hunlcs, and lieutenant- colonel 
Phayr, and to every of them." At the high court of Justice for the 
the trying and judging Charles Stuart, king of England, 29th Januarj^, 
1648.-9. 

"Whereas Charles Stuart, king of England, is, and standeth 
convicted, attained, and condemned of High Treason, and other high 
crimes, and sentence upon Saturday last was pronounced against him 
by this court, to be put to death by the severing of his head from his 
body ; of which sentence execution yet remains to be done : These 
are therefore to will and require you to see the said sentence executed 
in the open street before Whitehall, upon the morrow, being the 30th 
day of this instant, month of January, between the hours of ten in 
the morning and five in the afternoon of the same day, with full effect : 
And for so doing this shall be your warrant. And these are to require 
all officers and soldiers, and other the good people of this nation in 
England, to be assisting unto you in this .service." 
Given under our hands and seals, 

John Bradshawe. 

Thomas Grey, (lord Groby. 

Oliver Cromwell. 

(and 66 others.) 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 85 

1648.-1649. 

1648. Ill Jannar}', the money, in bags of £1000 each, 
Itegan to be counted at York, into the hands of the Scottish 
receiver, on Tuesday, the 5th, ;aid was completed on the 
IGth, being the pnyment of the first £200,000 for the arrears 

of the Scottish arniy October 29th, General Bais- 

borough, a zealous and avo\ved republican, was assassinated 
at Doucaster, by three desperadoes of the roj^alist party. 

June 3rd. The governor of Pontefrad castle, having given 
orders for some beds and provisions out of the country, 
colonel Morrice, commissioned by general Langdaie, and 
accompanied by nine royalist officers, disguised like peasants, 
having pistols, &c., concealed beneath their clothes, apjoeared 
at the castle-gate, M^ith carts laden with beds, provisions, 
&c. The draw-bridge was let down, and the beds, &c., 
delivered to the main guard ; money was then given to the 
soldiers to fetch some ale, in Avhose absence, Morrice and 
his party attacked and mastered the main guard, making 
way for their confederates to enter ; they made the deputy- 
governor prisoner, and soon made themselves masters of 
the castle, after which, they were joined by 30 horse and 
.500 foot, part of the king's shattered troops, and Sir John 
Digby was made governor. In the month of October, the 
third siege of Pontefract castle commenced. Oliver Crom- 
well undertook to superintend the operations in person, and 
remained a month before the fortress, without being able 
to make any impression on its massy walls. He then gave 
the command to general Lambert, who ultimately succeeded 
in reducing it to submission; but not before the garrison 
had been reduced from 600 m.en to 100, and some of them 

unfit for duty. On the 25th of jMarch, 1649, the garrison 

surrendered by capitulation, having first proclaimed Charles 
II. ; and done all that a brave garrison of men could do. 
"With the surrender of this fortress concludes the annals of 
the civil wars m England. At the demolition of Pontefract 
castle, in 1649, Avas found a very ancient M.S. on the subject 
of free masonry, which in the year 1738 Mas presented to 
one of the lodges in the city of York, by Mr. Drake, the 
celebrated antiquary, Avho was the master in 1761. 

In this and subsequent years, several of the inhabitants 
of Halifax issued penny and half-penny tokens. Persons 
in trade found themselves under the necessity of assuming 
this power of coinage, owing to the want of copper money 
coined by authority. They were cried doAvn by pro- 
clamation in 1672. 

1649. The pulpit in Armley chapel bore this date, when 
Thoresby wrote his history of Leeds, which says, '^ArnUey 



86 ANNALS OF LPJEDS, YORK, AND 

1649.-1650. 

hall, the seat of the Iloptoiis, was sure a spacious place, 
be ore the six-and -twenty rooms vrere taken down, to re- 
duce it to a farm-house." 

1650. Halifax Gibbet Law Avas a cruel mode of trial 
and execution, which existed in the forest of Hardwick, 
(a district comprising the principal part of the parish of 
Halifax), till the j'^ear 1G50. when the last of its victims 
were Abraham Wilkinson and Anthony Mitchell. " The 
inhabitants Avithin the forest of Hardwick had a custom," 
says Bentley in his history of Halifax, "from time im- 
memorial, that if a felon Avas taken Av^thin their liberty, 
with goods, stolen out or A\ithiii the liberty of the said 
forest, either hand-habend, back-berand, or cunfessand, any 
commodity of the value of thirteen-pence half-penny, he 
should, after three markets or meeting' days, within the 
toAvn of H \lifax:, next af or such apprehension, and being 
condemned, be taken to the gibbet, and have his head cut 
off from his body." The felon was, ho\vever, to be publicly 
and deliberately tried, by a sort of jury, consisting of the 
frith-burghers Avitliin the liberty. When the felon was ap- 
prehended, he was immediately brought before the lord's 
bailiff at Halifax, Avho kept the common gaol in the town, 
had the custody of the axe, and Avas the legal executioner. 
The bailiff then issued his summons to the constables of 
four several townships Avdthin the liberty, to require four 
irith-burghers within each to appear beibro him on a certain 
day, to examine into the truth of the charge. At the trial, 
the accuser and the accused Avere confronted before the 
jury, and the goods stolen Avere produced. If the party 
accused AA'as acquitted, he Avas instantly liberated; if con- 
demned, he was either executed immediately, if that Avas 
the principal market day, or set in the stocks on th" less 
meeting days Avith the stolen goods on his back, if portable, 
or if not, they were placed belore him." The execution 
alAvays took place on the great market day, in order to 
strike more terror into the neighbourhood. When the 
criminal Avas brought to the gibbet, a\ hich stood a little 
way out of the tOAvn, on the Avest end the execution Avas 
performed by means of an engine, called a gibbet, Avhich 
was raised upon a platform four feet high, and thirteen feet 
square, faced on every side Avith stone, and ascended by a 
flight of steps. In the middle of this platform Avere placed 
two upright pieces of timber, fifteen feet high, joined at the 
top by a transverse beam. Within these Avere a square 
block of wood, four feet and a half long, Avhich moved up 
and doAvn by means of grooves made for thut purpose ; to 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 87 

1650.-1651. 

the lo^vc^ part of this sliding block Avas fastened an iron 
axe, of the Aveiarht of seven pounds twelve ounces. The 
axe thus fixed, was drawn np to the top by a cord and 
pulle^y. At the end of the cord was a pin, Avhich, being: 
fixed to the block, kept it suspended t;il the moment of exe- 
cution, when the culprit, having" placed his head on the 
block, the pin Avas ^vithdraAvn, and his head was instantly 
severed from his body. If the offender was condemned for 
stealing: nn ox, a shrep, or a horse, the end of the rope w^aa 
fastened to the beast, which, being: driven, pulled out the 
pin, and thus became the executioner. Eemains of these 
fatal instru-^ents ma\' still be seen at the gaol at Halifax. 
The number of persons executed in Halifax, under the opera- 
tion of the gibbet, during little more than a centurj^ 
namely, between 1.541 and 1650, amounted to no less than 

49. HunsJet in this year contained 200 families, and 

was famous for the manufacture of woollen cloth. 

Holbeck contained 400 families at the same period. 

Oliver Cromicell, the Protector, was at York on the 4th of 
July, and partook of the maj'or's hospitality, after which 
he proceeded on his journey to Scotland, having lirst dis- 
placed the royal arms, and substituted those of the 

existing government.. Tea was hrst introduced into 

England about this time. 

Io50-()0. Between these two dntes an ordinance of par- 
liament v.-as issued to prohibit the exportation of wool and 
fullers' earth, on pain of forfeiture of the avooI, and a 
penalty of 3s. per lb. on every pound of fullers' earth. 

1651. On October 1st died Peter Saxton, M.A., vicar of 
Leeds, to Avhich benefice he was preferred in 1646, on 
his retuni from America, whither he went in 1640, and 
•was amongst the first of those who enlightened the dark 
regions of that extensive continent, being at that time 
dissatisfied with the ceremonies of the Church of England, 
and the troubles of the realm. He was a learned man, 

and a great Hebraist. Christopher Saxton, the great 

chrorographer, w^as probably one of the vicar's ancestors, 
for Camden supposes him to have been a native of Leeds 
parish, where he frequently resided amongst his relations. 
Thoresby, in allusion to Camden's Christopher Saxton, 
says, "as long as that celebrated author is owned the 
prince of our English antiquaries, and his Britannica the 
common sun a\ hcreat our modern writers ligl.ted their 
little torches, the fame of Saxton Avill survive ; for he 
styes him the raost excellent chrorographer.'" Saxton's 
maps w^ere highly esteemed little more than a century 



88 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 
1651.-1654. 

ago. September 3rd. The famous battle of Worcester 

■was foug-ht, in which Charles IPs forces were routed ; 
3000 killed, and 6000 or 7000 taken prisoners. 

1652. The taxes in England during the Commonwealth 
consisted chiefly of the monthly assessments, the customs, 
and the excise, the latter of which was levied on bread, 

flesh-meat, beer, &c. February. " There w^as a 

great eclipse of the sun about nine hours of the forenoon, 
on a Monday. The earth was much darkened; the like, 
as thought by astrologers, was not since the darkness at 
our Lord's passion. The country people, tilling, loosed 
their ploughs, and thought it had been the latter day; 
some of the stars were seen ; and the birds clapped to 
the ground." 

1653. Richard Thompson, D.D., a native of Wakefield, 
was born about this time, and educated at the grammar 
school there. He was a very zealous churchman, and 

died in 16S5, at Bristol. The Register Office at 

Wakefield for the West-Riding of Yorkshire was insti- 
tuted this year. By an indenture dated the 2lst August 

this year, John Flarrison, Esq. conveyed certain estates 
to trustees therein named, for the endowment of an hos- 
pital, at present known by the name of " Harrison's 
hospital. " The mayor of the borough possesses the right 
of nominating to this charity, in turn with the vicar, the 
incumbent of the church of St. .John's, and the two trus- 
tees appointed by the said indenture, respectively for the 
time being. 

1654. On the 9th of August in this year, William Farrer, 
Esq., of Ewood, near Halifax, purchased a share of the 
lands of Saddleworth, (the whole of which, tradition 
says, were anciently sold for a saddle, hence Saddle ivorth,) 
from William Ramsden, Esq., of Longley Hall, for £2,950. 
These lands, in 1775, brought in an annual rent of £1,500, 
to James Farrer, Esq., of Baraborough Grange. In 17S0 
he sold off land to the amount of £10,000, and, by ad- 
vancing the remainder, still kept up the rent of £1,500 a 
year. At his death, in 1791, it had increased to £2,000 a 
year, much of it in leases for lives, and the estate being 
sold in small parcels to the occupiers and others, it pro- 
duced nearly £70,000, making an actual profit in the sales, 
exclusive of the rents, upwards of £77,000, upon less 

than a £3,000 purchase. Jeremy Bentley, Esq., was 

returned member of parliament for Halifax. 

On December 6th, in this year, died Joshua Hoyle, D.D. 
He was born at Sowerby, and received his first academical 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 89 

1654-1656. 

education in Magdalen hall, Oxford, being afterwards in- 
vited to Ireland, was made fellow of Trinit}'- Colleg-e, 
Dublin ; there he took the degree of D.D., and was elected 
divinity pi'ofessor in that university. On the breaking out 
of the rebellion in Ireland, in 1641, he carae into England, 
and soon afterwards Vv-as made master of university 
college, Oxford, and the king's professor of divinity, and 

at that period published several works. By indenture 

dated the 3()th January, tliis year, John Harrison, Esq., 
and others therein named, conveyed to trustees for the use 
of the Leeds corporation, five nmths of the Bailiwick, or 
manor of Leeds. Avith the appurtenances, including the 
common oven and bakehouse, (subject to a fee farm 
rent.) 

1655. The old prison of the borough was removed from 
" Cross Parish" in Briggate to the south side of Kirkga..te. 
It was a wretched place with five or six dark and miserable 
rooms, without even a sewer or fire place and the windows 
were not glazed. 

Opposite the prison was the common bakehouse, which 

had existed from an early period. At this time owing 

to the great scarcity of money, merchants and tradesmen 
in Leeds, obtained, or assumed the privilege of coining 
penny and halfpenny pieces of brass and copper, known 
as tokens. This species of money continued in circulation 
until 1672, when it v/as discontinued by royal proclama- 
tion. 

1656. February 6th, Queen Anne was born ; subsequently 
married to the prince of Denmark, 16S3 ; succeeded her 
brother-in-law, William III., on the British throne, March 
8th, 17^2; crowned and settled the first fruits and tenths 
on the poor clergy, in 1704, and died August 1st, 1714, 
aged 5S years. John Harrison, Esq., the great ben- 
efactor of Leeds, died at his house, (formerly the " Leeds 
Mercury Office") Briggate, aged 77 years, leaving in various 
charities, an imperishable memorial. He was interred in 
his own orchard, then situate on the site of the present 
free market, Kirkgate. After six years he was disin- 
terred by the descendants of his sisters, and his remains 
were removed to St. John's Church, Leeds, where there is 
an epitaph as follows : — 

" Here re.steth the body of Mr. John Harrison, the wonder of his 
own, and pattern of .succeeding ag3s. Eminent for prudence, piety, 
loyalty, charity, who, (beside other works of a pious munificence, and 
many great instances of an excellent vertue), founded an hospital for 
the relief of indigent persons of good conversation, and foimerly in- 



90 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 
1656.-]658. 

dustrious. Built the free school of this town for the encouragement of 
learning, together with a chappell ; this church (which most may eavie,) 
for the exercise of religion, and endowed it with eighty pourids per 
annum. Also that he might do good in all his capacities, lie erected 
a stately cross for convenience of the market, aad having given these 
pledges of a joyful resurrection, fell asleep. Oct. 29, Anno Dom. 1656, 
aetatis suse 77- 

flichard Fawcett, A.M. who was incumbent of St. John's 
in 1768, filed a bill in chancery against the trustees, for 
witholding from the minister all the increased rents and 
profits above £80. He obtained a decree in his favour, so 
that the yearly value of the benefice was increased to six 
times its original value. 

1657. Skipton castk was this year re -built by lady Clifford, 
countess dowager of Pembroke, having laid in ruins from 
December, 1648, when it was demolished by order of 

Parliament. Sarah Gledhiil, (niece to the benefactor) 

by will dated 13th Oct. bequeathed £200 to purchase lands 
to endow a free school in Barkisland, for twelve poor chil- 
dren. The produce of the estate, purchased by the trustees, 

is £31 10s. per annum. George Savile was created by 

king Charles II. haron Savile, of Elland, and viscount Halifax ; 
and, in 1682, he was created marquis of Halifax, a title 
which became extinct with his son, August 31st, 1700. 
on the 4th December, 1700, Charles Montague, of Horton, 
in Northamptonshire, was created haron Halifax, in the 
county of York,^ndi in 171-1, earl of Halifax, and viscount 
Sunhury, with limitation to his nephew, Edward Montague, 

Esq. About this period, a gentleman newl}'- converted 

to the tenets of George Fox, gave a piece of ground, at 
Monk Bretton, near Barnsley, for the use of the Friends, 
in the neighbourhood of Leeds. Their first meeting place 
was near Gildersome, where they had a society about 
1661. 

1658. On the 16th of August, was born in Kirkgate, at 
Leeds, Ralph Thoresby, the learned antiquary and historian, 
who died Oct. 16th, 1725, and lies interred in the parish 
church of that town. A memorial stone within the 
altar rail at the south-east side of the church, bears this 
inscription: — " Sacred to the memory of Ralph Thoresby, 
F.R.S., a member of the ancient corporation of Leeds. He 
was born 16th August, 1658. He died 16th Oct. 1725, and 
was interred within these walls. His name known in the 
annals of literature as that of an historian and antiquary, 
is recorded here as that of an humble christian. He was 
educated a Nonconformist, but the wish of his maturer 



THE subrou:ndi]S'g district. 91 

1658.-1660. 

years was guided to seek the church. "Within her fold he 
attended with a salutary diligence the ordinances of our 
holy faith; hence he was enabled to dispense the benefits 
of a respected example, and to receive the blessings of 
that pure and undeiiled religion which led him to visit the 
fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep him- 
self unspotted from the world." Sir Henry Slingsby 

was beheaded on Tower Hill, for conspiring against Oliver 

Cromwell, June Sth. Joseph Bingham, whose works 

have obtained for him the name of " the learned Binghain^''^ 
was born at Wakefield in this year. He was collated to 
the rectory of Havant, near Portsmouth, in 1712, and died 
August 17th, 1723. He wrote the " Anticpiities of the 

Christian Church." September 3rd. Oliver Cromwell, 

Protector of England, died this day, being the anniversary 
of his two most famous battles. He was born at Hunting- 
don, April 25th, 1599. His son Richard, succeeded to the 
Protectorate, which in a few monlhs, dropped from his 
feeble hands. On receiving the news of the approach of 
Charles II., he abdicated of his own accord (1659), and 
until his death (1712), lived in seclusion. 

1660. On the Sth of May, king Charles II. was restored 
to the throne of his ancestors, and on the 29th of the same 

month made his grand entry into London. Wool was 

prohibited from being exported, at the instance of the man- 
ufacturers, though the Lincolnshire graziers cried out 
against the restriction for more than a century afterwards. 

John Lake, D.D., afterwards bishop of Chichester, was 
presented to the vicarage of Leeds, but was obliged to em- 
ploy a party of soldiers to secure his induction, the church 
doors having been barred against him by a furious mob, 
composed of the friends of his competitor, Mr. Bowles, of 

York. James Naylor a native of East Ardsley, near 

Wakefield, died in October this year. He was born about 
1616, and was the son of a farmer of propertj^ but re- 
ceived only a plain English education. From 1641 to 1647, 
he served in the parliamentary army, and professed the 
presbyterian faith till 1651, when he became a convert to 
George Fox, the founder of Quakerism. In 1655, he dis- 
tinguished himself amongst a " Society of Friends" in 
London, where the female part of his hearers attributed to 
him such piety and divinity, from his likeness, it is said, 
to the prints and other representations of our Saviour, 
that his naturally weak and romantic brain became der- 
anged with flattery, and he assumed the character of the 
Messiah, in which he affected to heal the sick and raise the 



92 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 
1660.-1662. 

dead, believing- that he was transformed into Christ him- 
self, an idea in which he was supported by many of his 
deluded followers, who, in his progress from Exeter g-aol 
to Bristol, strewed their garments in his path, and escort- 
ed him into the city, singing, " Holy, holy, holy, Lord God 
of Sabaoth!" He was immediately seized by the Bristol 
magistrates, and after a long examination, sent to London, 
where the parliament condemned him to have his tongue 
bored, a brand set npon his forehead, and to be whipped 
from the palace-yard to the old Exchange, after being in 
the pillory two hours at both places. He was afterwards 
whipped twice through the streets of Bristol. This severe 
punishment brought him to his senses, and being released 
from prison, ihe unfortunate man died on his way home- 
ward. Thegreat centre steeple of St. Wilfred's church 

at Ripon, which was forty yards high, was blown down, 
and fell into the chancel. The other two steeples were 

removed, soon after. The old chapel at Ripponden, 

was built in 1660, and the present one consecrated Sep- 
tember 9th, 1737. In the tower are four bells, one of which 
is thus whimsically inscribed, 

"O may their souls in heaven dwell, 
" Who made the least a tenor bell." — 1701. 
1661. In this year Charles IL granted a new charter to 
Leeds. By this charter, the corporation was to consist first, 
of a mayor to be elected annually by the mayor, aldermen, 
and assistants for the time being. Secondly, twelve alder- 
men, twenty- four assistants, one recorder, and one town- 
clerk, who were to hold the office for life unless by " their 
evil behaviour, or evil carriage, or for some other reason- 
able cause," they should be removed from their place, by 
the mayor, and the rest of the common council of the bor- 
ough. The charter also enacted that the mayor, aldermen, 
recorder and deputy-recorder should be justices of the 
peace. 

A penalty was imposed upon any person in the town of 
Leeds, who killed flesh meat, or who suffered it to be eaten 

in their houses during Lent. An epitaph in the Leeds 

parish church, to the memory of Mr. John Thoresby, who 
died Sept. 20th, 1661, aged sixty-nine years, is as follows : 
" Here lies lamented precious dust, 
A tradesman true, a justice just ; 
A husband kind, a parent dear. 
Who walked with God in faith and fear." 
1652. The first law for making turnpike roads was enacted. 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 93 

1662,-1663. 

On the 3rd February, this year, the Leeds corporation 
authorized the churchwardens to lay " an eight-fold assess- 
ment upon the inhabitants of the borough, to re-imburse 
themselves for the severall great summes of money ex- 
pended and laid out about therepa3^res of the parish church 
of the said towne and about the erecting of a font for the 
more reverent adrainistring the holy sacrament of baptisrae." 

On the 2'6th of March, the corporation of Leeds ap- 
pointed Thomas Gorst to be their cook, and ordered that 
he should " from tyme to tyme, upon any publique occa- 
tion, dresse, or order to be dressed, the severall dishes 
appoynted for any such meeting or solemnitye." The cor- 
poration had at this time occasion to complain that "many 
masters of familyes and parents of children doe give 
libertye to their servants and others, to profane the 
Sabbath, by their open playing in the streets, sitting in 
publique places in great companyes,to the great dishonour 
of God in poynte of divine worshippe, in scandall to 
chrislian profession, and to the bad example of the younger 
sort in poynte of education." 

The milling of coin was first introduced; and ten j^ears 
afterwards copper coin was first made current in England. 
The first sterling money was issued in 1216; before which 
time rents Avere pa'd in kind, and gold and silver was only 
found in the coffers of the barons : coins was however used 

in Brit^^in 25 years before the birth of Christ. June 14. 

Sir Henry Vane beheaded for taking a lead amongst the 
republicans during the Civil Y/ars. He was the last who 
suffered in that cause 

lt)G3. A contemptible insurrection called the Farnley 
Wood Plot broke out in October in this year, but was 
quickly suppressed. The rendezvous of the conspirators 
w-as in Farnley Wood, near Leeds, and their objects 
were to "re-establish a gospel ministry and magistracy; 
to restore the long parliament; to relieve themselves 
from the excise and all subsidies ; and to reform all 
orders and degrees of men, especially the lawyers and 
clergy." The conspirators were tried at York by a 
special commission, in Jan., 1683-4, when twenty-one were 
convicted and executed. Of these three suffered on 
Chapeltown moor, near Leeds, Jan. 19th of that year, as 
appears by the parish register, which says, " Robert 
Atkius, John Errington, and Henry AVatson, hanged at 
Chapeltown." Robert Atkins was a Salter and oil-drawer, 
in great business at Timble-bridgc, and was buried in 
his own garden, with a gravestone over his body, which 



94 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1663-1664. 

was broken in 1720, by order of Samuel Walker, when 
he purchased the premises. The rebellion was headed 
by one Oates, an old officer in the parliamentary army, 
Avhose son, Ralph Oates, in the trial of the consp rators,^ 
deposed that they never exceeded thirty persons. Lord 
Clarendon says, their intention was to seize upon the . 
city of York, had they not^ been disappointed in an ex- 
pected co-operation. The first newspaper printed in 

England bore t'us date, (1633), and appeared under the 
title of the "Public Intelligencer," by Sir Roger L'Estrange, 
which was two years previous to the first French paper, 
" Tes Savans." "The Public Intelligencer " was dropped 
on the first appearance of the "London Gazette," ^^ hich 
was first published at Oxford, on the 7th of November, 
1665. lu 16S0 newspapers and pamphlets were prohibited 

by royal proclamation. In ths year, a subsidy, 

called "hearth money," was granted to the crown by 
act of parliament, as an additional revenue. It amounted 
to the sum of two shillings on every hearth, in houses 
paying to the church and poor. From a return made at 
the time, it Avould seem that there were in Leeds 1431 
inhabitants, (a list of whom will be found in Wardell's 
Municipal History of the Borough of Leeds), possessing 
2,815 hearths or stoves in the borough, which would 
realise the sum of £300, to be contributed by th s town. 

This Hearth Tax, commonly called " Chimney Money," 
was an old tax revived under a new name. The hint 
at least, was taken from the duty on fumage, laid upon 
his Norman subjects, by the Black Prince, after the 
dukedom of Aquitain was granted to him, and consisted 
of twelvepence upon every fire; ^^'hich duty was again de- 
rived from the well known tax formerly paid to the Popes^ 
under the name of " Peter pence," being one penny for 
every ch mney that smoked. This tax, so grievous to the 
people, w-^s repealed by 1st William and Mary, cap. 10. 

1664. Died March 28, Accepted Frewen, archbishop of 
York, who was appointed to that see, after it had re- 
mained vacant ten years. He was eccentric in his ways, 
lived in a state of celibacy, and would not even have a 

female servant about his palace. The sect called 

Quakers was founded by George Fox, in which year 
sixty were transported to America by order of the counciL 
In 1695 their affirmation was adopted by act of parlia- 
ment instead of an oath. One of their body, John Arch- 
dale, was chosen a member of parliament, notwithstand- 
ing which, his election was made void, on his refusing 
to take the oaths, 1698. 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 95 

1665.-1667. 

16o5. lu the summer of this year Loudon ^vas visited by a 
p-ague which swept off abaut 100,00 J people, and did not ex- 
per.ence auy abatement till the approach of cold Aveather. 
On this occasion the city presented a wide and heart- 
rending sce;;e of misery and desolation. Rows of houses 
stood tenantless, and open to the winds ; the chief 
thoroughfares were overgrov^m with grass. The fev/ in- 
dividuals who ventured abroad, v.'alked in the middle of 
the streets, and when they met, declined on opposite 
sides to avoid the contact of each other. At one moment 
were heard the ravii^gs of delirium, or the wail of sorrow, 
from the infected dwelling ; at another, the merry song 
or careless laugh from the tavern, where men were 
seeking to drown in debaucher}- all sense of their awful 
situation. 

166G. On the 26 Ih of April, this year, a plot was dis- 
covered for taking the tower and firing the city, which 
was to have been put in execution on the 3rd of Sep- 
tember. It is worthy of remark, that the ' Great Fire of 
London' broke out on the night of Sunday, the 2nd of 
.September in that year, the very day before that ap- 
pointed by the conspirators. The fire broke out in the 
eastern and more crowded part of the city. The direction 
and violence of the v,'ind, the combustible nature of the 
houses, ai:d the defective arrangements of that age for 
extinguishing fires, combined to favour the progress of 
the il.rmes, which raged during the whol'^ of the A^eek, 
and bur-it all that part of the city which lies bet een 
the tower and the temple. By this calami t}- St. Paul's 
cathedral, togeiher vv-:th 1^,200 houses and 89 churches 
covering in all 4-30 acres of ground, were destroyed. The 
flame at one time formed a column a mile in diameter, 
and seemed to mingle v>^ith the clouds. It rendered the 
night as clear as day for ten m les around the city, and is 
said {o have produced an effect upon the sky A\hich w;,s ob- 
served on the borders of Scotland. On the 5th of 

August, the duke and duchess of York visited that city, and 
were received vith ever}' demonstration of loyal t}-- and 
affection. This year the notorious Jefferies attended at 
York, as one of the judges of assize. 

1667. At the York assizes this year, Henry Jenkins ap- 
peared as a witness in a cause, and deposed that the tithes 
of wool, lamb, &c., had been paid to his knowledge 120 years 
or more ! Jenkins had appeared at York two years before, 
to prove the existence of an ancient road to a mill 120 
years ! He rememl)ered the dissolution of the monasteries, 



96 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

166;. 

and said that great lamentation was made on that occasion. 
In early life he was butler to lord Conyers, of Hornby 
castle, and was often at Fountain's abbey during the 
residence of the last abbot, who, he said, frequently 
visited his lord, and drank a hearty glass with him. He 
was born at Ellerton-upon-Swale, in this county, before 
parish registers Avere in use ; but bishop Littleton com- 
municated to the society of antiquarians, on the 11 th of 
December, 1766, a paper copied from an old household 
book of Sir Richard Graham, bart., of Norton Conyers, the 
writing of which says, that upon his going to live at Bolton, 
Jenkins Avas said to be about 150 years old, that he had 
often examined him in his sister's kitchen, where he came 
to beg alms, and found facts and chronicles agree in his 
account. He was then 162 years of age, and said that he 
went to Northallerton with a horse load of arrows for the 
battle of Flodden Field, Mith which a bigger bo}'' went 
forward to the army, under the earl of Surrey, king Henry 
being at that time at Tournay, and he believed himself then 
11 or 12 years old. This was in 1.513, and four or five people 
of the same parish, said to be 100 years old or near it, de- 
clared Jenkins to liave been an old man ever since they 
knew him. He died in December, 1670, at Bolton-on- 
iSwale, aged one hundred and sixty-nine years, where a 
monument is erected to his memory, the epitaph of which 
was composed bj^ Dr. Thomas Chapman, master of Mag- 
dalen college, Cambridge. Jenkins was co-temporary with 
Old Parr, who died in the 152nd year of his age, a.d. 1635, 
and lies buried among the eminent dead in Westminster 
abbey, where the ashes of old Jenkins should have borne 

him company. On the 1st of April, this year, the 

Leeds corporation, "haveing due respect to the lawes and 
and canons of holy church," ordered that the mayor, vicar, 
several members of the corporation, and two churchwardens, 
should enter into contracts for repairing and restoring the 
leads and windows of the parish church, and to take suffi- 
cient security for the due performance of the work. 

In the Whitkirk register are some curious entries under 
this date, showing the condition of the poor clerg)'-, as 
follows : — 

" 1667- Given to a poore old minister who preached here, June 2nd, 
3s. 6d. B estowed in ale upon a poore preacher that preached here, 
6d. April 10th, 1670. Given then, by the neighbours, to a poore 
mendicant minister, one Mr. John Rhodes, who then preached here; 
and after sermon stood in the middle ile to receive the charity of the 
people, the surame of 12s. 3J." 



THE SURROUXDIXG DISTRICT. 97 

I669.-1671. 

1669. Thoresb}^ the antiquar}-, says, "it is very mem- 
orable that in the space of thirty years, seven of the natives 
of this county were archbishops, (and five of them also 
primates), namely. Dr. John Bramhall, archbishop of 
Armagh, who was born at Pontefract; Dr. James Marget- 
son, successor to the same primacy, at Drighlington ; Dr. 
Samuel PuUen, (master of the Leeds free grammar school), 
archbishop of Tuam, at Ripley; Dr. Wm. Palliser, arch- 
bishop of Cashel, at Kirkby "Wisk, where also were born 
the noted Richard Ascham, and the learned George Hickes; 
Dr. John Tillotson, archbishop of Canterbury, at Sowerby, 
near Halifax ; and Dr. John Sharp, archbishop of York, 

at Bradford." Congreve, the poet, was born at 

Bardsey grange, seven miles north of Leeds, as appears by 
the register of his baptism there ; hence it seems that 
the date (1672) upon his monument in Westminster abbe)^ 

is erroneous. Isaac Bowcock by will bequeathed 

to the townships of Halifax and Ovenden, his lands in 
Ossett, that the rents might be yearly bestowed by his seven 
feofees, "for preferring and putting forth five poor men's 
sons to trade, yearly, as are not to be put forth town 
'prentices, or for the relief of such as are in necessity, (not 
through wasteful expense, or such as have relief from the 
parish), or for setting up in trade, or stocking hopeful 
young persons to make good use of it, at the discretion of 
the said trustees, and that £6 thereof shall yearly be 
given to Ovenden." 

1670. The Rev. John Lake, residentiary of York, by 
endeavouring to stop the citizens and others from prome- 
nading the minster during divine service, brought a mob 
"about his ears," who robbed the cathedral of many of its 
goods and assaulted him in his own house, where he was 

rescued by Captain Honey wood." "A Board of Trade 

was established, and the commerce and riches of England 
never at any period increased so fast as from the Restora- 
tion to the Revolution. During these forty years the 
shipping of England nearly doubled. Several new manu- 
factures in iron, brass, silk, hats, glass, paper, &c., were 
established; and one Brewer brought the art of dyeing 

woollen cloth from the low countries." The Leeds 

Corporation, with the consent of the vicar, ordered the 
pew in the parish church, commonly called the " Aldresses 
pew," to be enlarged and rendered more commodious, in 
order that the ladies attending divine service there, might, 
"with more freedome exercise their devotions." 

1671- General Thomas Lord Fairfax died at Denton on 
the 12th of November. 9 



98 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

I672-I674. 

1672. The Old Mill-hill chapel, at the bottom of Park- 
row, was built about this time. Thoresby says, that "it 
was the first, and certainly one of the most stately fabrics, 
(supported by a row of pillars and arches), built after the 
first indulgence in the north of England." After doctrinal 
changes in 1767, the distinguished philosopher. Dr. 
Priestley became minister of that chapel, and resided in a 
small house in Basinghall-street. Here, the doctor, among 
other literary labours, wrote his '■'■Institutes,^'' — 2 vols. 8vq. 

This year half-pence and farthings were first coined in 
England. 29th Dec. Several parts of England suf- 
fered from floods and inundation. In Yorkshire and other 
counties, great damage was done, the water standing as 

deep as ten feet in many parts. Thoresby mentions 

the only inscription in Armley chapel as bearing this date, 
and sacred to the memory of Neriah Simpson, A.M., who 
"always kept a purse of £20 to lend to the poor, honest, 
necessitated clothmakers at Armley, without interest, and 
always had it returned after their advancement in trade." 

The Bank of England, consisting of forty merchants, 
was incorporated by the name of the Governor and Com- 
pany of the Bank of England, under a proviso that at any 
time after the first day of August, in the year 1705, upon 
a year's notice, and the re-payment of twelve hundred 
thousand pounds, subscribed by the company, the said 
corporation should cease and determine. 

1673. Dec. 18th The commission appointed to enquire 
into th€ administration of the several charities within the 
borough of Leeds, and appointing trustees for the manage- 
ment thereof, ordered that all deeds and writings relating 
thereto should be safel}^ laid up in a strong chest, to be 
provided for that purpose in the registry of the parish 
church of Leeds, which chest should be locked with three 
keys. These documents, with others collected by the 
corporation, and many of a later date, are at present de- 
posited in an iron safe in the vestry of St. Peter's church, 
secured by three seperate locks, of which one key is kept 
by the mayor, another by the vicar, and a third by the 
churchwardens . 

1674. Feb. 25th. A great snow began to fall about eight 
in the morning, and continued for four days with little 
intermission ; the frost at the same time being very severe. 
The whole country was covered several feet deep, and 
and every description of business was brought to a stand- 
still. Many persons were frozen to their saddles, and, 
according to the record of the time, saddle and man were 



THE SURROUJsDING DISTRICT. 99 

16/4.-1675. 

removed from the horse together. John Milton, the 

author of "Paradise Lost." died this year. He was born 
in 1608. 

1674. Jan. 2nd. Curious inscription on a brass plate in 
the Leeds parish church : — 

"Here lies his father's eldest son, 

AVhose name was Edward Waddiugton ; 

Close by his grandfather, John Thwaites, 
Both snatcht away by cruel fates ; 

Whom God above, (wee hope), has blest. 
To live with Him in endlesse rest. 

Buried the 2nd Janvarie, 1674." 

The following memorandums are taken from the register 
of the same church : — 

" 16/4. Feb 8th. The 8th day came the oider for suppressing the 
popish and schismatical assemblies, dated from the Council Table, * 
February the 3rd, (74). 

1674. June loth. The 15th day the first time, Messrs. Streeton Moss 
and Armitage, with their schismatical assemblies, was convicted by 
the oathes of Lawson and Halliwell apparatours. The second time, 
July the 19th." 

" 16/4. Nov. 8th. The 8th day, Geo. D. of Buckingham, with his 
Countiss, was at the cburch with L. fFairfax, who came to compromise 
the contentions betwixt the clothiers of Dewsbury and others." 

I679. "Aug. About the middle of this month, the chime first 
begun togoe : BrianTesseman, churchwarden, principal promoter of it." 

1675. In December, an epidemic distemper prevailed at 
Leeds, York, Halifax, Hull, and other places. This disease 
was a severe cold and violent cough, the latter of which 
so interrupted the divine service, that Thoresby says, "it 
was almost impossible to hear distinctly an entire sentence 

of a sermon." Henry Lord Fairfax restored the Horn 

given by Ulphus to York cathedral, after it had been 
missing a number of years. The dean and chapter decora- 
ted it anew, but with brass instead of gold. It is an 
elephant's tusk twenty-nine inches in length, and curiously 
carved, and was, till stolen from the minster, adorned 
with gold, hanging pendant from a chain of the same 

metal. On the 11th of January was buried John King, 

of Hipperholme, near Halifax, aged 73. He was esteemed 
the best archer in England, was sent for to court in the 
time oftiHiarles I. and " won great wagers," as he did also 
during the civil wars at Manchester, where he was carried 
on men's shoulders as the victor of the field, some of the 

L.of C. 



100 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 
16;5.-1678. 

gentry crying after him " a king, a king !" which alarmed 
the republicans, who cried out, " Treason, treason, a 
plot." Archery was highly esteemed by the Romans, and 
it is said that the emperor Domitian was so sure a marks- 
man that he could shoot his arrows between the fingers of 
a boy without hurting his hand. 

1675. A demand of toll was made about this time by the 
inhabitants of Wakefield from those of Leeds. The cor- 
poration of Leeds granted £50 for the purpose of defending 
any action at law which might be brought for the nonpay- 
ment thereof The first stone for the re-building of St. 

Paul's cathedral, London, was laid this year, and was 
finished m 1710, at the cost of £1,000,000. 

1676. Feb. 15th. Died, aged 85, Gervas Nevile, Esq., of 
Holbeck, who was quarter master general to the marquis 
of Newcastle, in the rebellion of 1645, and was interred 

Jn St. John's church, Leeds. Repeating clocks and 

watches invented. Clocks made to strike were invented 
by the Italians about the year 1300 ; and by the Arabians 
in 851. Clocks afterwards were set up in churches. 

In 1677, Langdale Sunderland conveyed to five trustees 
certain messuages and land, upon trust, to employ the 
rents to teach the children of Wortley to read English or 
Latin. To this endowment William Farrar subsequently 
added a rood of land. 

1678. James Margetson, archbishop of Armagh, a native 
of Drighlington, by will, dated 1678, endowed a school at 
Drighlington, with £60 a year, from an estate there, 

where he had previously built a school. Here we 

have to narrate one of the most tragical events recorded 
in Yorkshire history, which took place at Beeston, near 
Leeds. A colliery owner, named Leonard Scurr, who 
had filled the office of minister of Beeston chapel during 
the time of Cromwell ; having collected a considerable 
sum of money to take with him to London for the pur- 
pose of trade, the fact was made knoAvn to some of his 
neighbours, and on the night previous to his intended 
journey, being on the 19th of January, two ruffians of 
the name of Holroyd and Littlewood, with some other 
persons, entered his house at the early hour of eleven 
o'clock, and murdered the whole family, consisting of 
Mr. Scurr, his aged mother, and a servant girl, the latter 
of whom they beheaded, at the instigation of a wretched 
woman of the party. They then stripped the house and 
set fire to it, with the hope of concealing their delin- 
quency. Holroyd soon after set off for Ireland, taking 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 101 

167S.-1680. 

with him a woman with whom he cohabited. "While in 
that kingdom, suspicion fell upon the woman, who wore 
a gown and scarlet petticoat belonging to Mrs. Scurr, 
and which an old servant in the family saw and 
identified. In consequence of this discovery, both the 
woman and her paramour were apprehended and lodged 
in York castle, along with Littlewood, on whom sus- 
picion had also fallen. At the Lammas assizes of 1682, 
the two men were tried and convicted, and Holroyd, who 
died a hardened and impenitent sinner, was executed for 
the offence on Holbeck moor, in the presence of 30,000 
spectators. After the execution, his bodj'' v,^as removed 
and hung in chains on the spot. Littlewood was re- 
prieved in the hope that he would give some informa- 
tion, but what became of him afterwards is not known. 
The woman, who had probably not been engaged in the 
murder, does not appear to have been put upon hep 
trial. 

1679. There is an epitaph in the Leeds parish church 
to the memory of "Mrs. Jane, the truly dear and 
vertuous wife of Mr. Thomas Potter, of Leeds, merchant, 
who departed this life the 22nd Nov., 1679, aged 24 
years." — 

"This homely case a jewel doth contain, 
But shew'd the world, and so laid up again; 
"With meek and chaste behaviour every grace 
Inrich'd, which beautifies the mind and face." 

1680. In this year appeared the most celebrated comet 
upon record. Its head did not exceed in brightness a 
star of the second magnitude, and its tail was 160,000,000 
of miles in length, covering 70 degrees of the heavens. 
"It wasfirst seen on the 14th December, being the fourth day 
of the moon, the night being clear and frosty. It had 
a great blazing tail from the root of it, which was 
pointed as it came from the star, and then spread itself. 
It was of a broad and large ascent up to the heavens, 
so that when it was set in the west, and out of sight, 
yet did the stream of it mount near to our zenith. It 
is doubted if the like comet has been seen since the 
creation, and it is certainly prodigious of great altera- 
tions and of great judgments on these lands for our 
sins ; for never was the Lord more provoked by a people 
than b}' us in these lands, and that by persons of all 
ranks." — Laivs memorials. This comet struck a great 
fear into the minds of the people of Europe, in the 



102 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 
1680.-1684. 

Catholic countries particularly. Kepler, the astronomer, 
had foretold long before that the conjunction of the 
planets Saturn and Jupiter in Leo, which occurs but 
once in 800 years, would, at the conjunction which hap- 
pened at the time of the appearance of this comet, have 
a malign influence on the church of Rome. The alarm 
was furthermore increased by the Romish mathematicians 
declaring that the train of the comet was six times 
longer than that which portended the death of pope 

Alexander VII. Wakefield experienced a dreadful 

storm and flood on August 26th, when Thoresby, the 
antiquary, being in the town, waded up to his midleg 
in water, to get to his quarters. 

I6S1. The following proceedings took place at a 
court held in Leeds on the 20fch of June, 1681, relative 
to the redemption of a son of Mr. Alderman Foxcroft, 
who had been taken prisoner by the Turks, and was then 
in captivity : — 

"Forasmuch as this court hath bene credibly enformed by Mr, 
Alderman Foxcroft, a member thereof, that he hath a sonne lately 
taken by the Turkes, who wa-s putt apprentice to one Mr. Robert 
Newport, captaine and owner of the good shipp the Adriatique, and in 
that voige was burser to the said shipp, his master having lost his life 
with his vessell, and the young man taken captive and carried prisoner 
to Algiers, and there sold for seaven hundred dollars. And that the 
.some required for his redempc'on will amount to dl^SoO sterling att the 
least, and his father not being in a condic'on to raise the same, hath 
craved the advice and assistance of this court; thp'on it is therefore 
ordered, that a gen'all collec'on be made from house to house in all 
coDotabeleryes and places in the said Borough. And that all p'sons, 
both householders, and others, will be pleased to give theire charitable 
contribuc'ons tosoe pious a vvorke, as the Redempc'on of a Christian 
soule out of the hands of those barborous infidells. Ordered that a 
letter be writ to Hull in the name of the Corporac'on, to request theire 
charitable contribuc'ons to the furtherance of this pious worke." 

1683. Thoresby says there was upon a brass plate in St. 
John's church, Leeds, the following notice : — " Elizabeth, 
wife of John Gibson, of Leeds, vintner, aged 39, was de- 
livered of two daughters, baptized Elizabeth and Sarah, 
the I3th December, 1683, and all three lie in one coffin here 
interred." 

1684. In the beginning of December, this year, the ' Great 
Frost' commenced, and continued till the 5th of February, 
without any intermission. The Thames was frozen over, 
and during Hilary Term, coaches ran on the river between 
the Temple and Westminster. A fair was also held on. 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 103 

1684.-16S6. 

the ice, booths erected, an ox roasted whole, and bull- 
baiting, and other sports took place. The frost was so 
intense, that the sea was frozen several miles from the 
shore, and, of course, all shipping transactions were 
brought to a close. On the 6th day of February, tlie day 
after the break-up of this great frost, Charles II. died, and 

James II. ascended the throne. The Market for 

"Woollen Cloth, formerlj^ held on Leeds bridge, was re- 
moved into Briggate, June 14th, where it continued to be 
held until the erection of the cloth halls. This market 
was closed b}'^ the ringing of the bell at the old chapel, 
near the bridge, when the cloth and benches were im- 
mediately removed, and the street occupied by country 
linen drapers, shoemakers, hardwaremen, and 'sellers of 
wood vessels, wicker baskets, wanded chairs, flaskets, &c. 

The charter of king James II. to the borough of Leeds 
bears date this year, January 1st., under which charter, 

Gervase Nevile, Esq., was first mayor. This year died 

Sir Geo. Rawden, of Rawden, who, in 1641, with 200 
Englishmen, repulsed Sir Phelim O'Neal, and 2000 Irish at 
Lisburne, in Ireland. Of the precise time when the 
present family became seized of the manor of Hudders- 
field we are not informed, but it is certain that John 
Ramsden, Esq., of Byrom, had a grant of a market here, 
by patent, dated Nov. 1st, 23 Chas. II. The parish church 
appears to have been re-built about the time of Henry 
VIII. The old font has the arms of France and England 
quarterly Avithin the garter, and the initials E. R. in the 

character of Edward VI. April 23rd, a dreadful fire 

happened within Clifford's tower, in York, and consumed 
all the interior to ashes, leaving nothing standing except 
the walls Fortunately, only one life was lost, occasioned 
by the falling of a piece of timber, that had been blown 
up, probably by gunpowder lodged in the tower. It was 
generally believed to be designedly done, as the soldiers 
would not suffer the citizens to enter till it was too late 
to stop the progress of the flames, and the gunner had got 
out all his goods before it was discovered, 

16S5. The following is extracted from the register of the 
Leeds parish church : — 

"John Thompson, dying at Hillows Bancke, was excommun'd, and 
was brought into the churche yaerde, and ther left in hy.s wynding shete, 
the flft day of August, and afts. buryed by some of hys frends in the 
nettles under the churche wal), out of t!ie common place of buryall." 

1686. On the ISth of Feb., the whole of England was 
visited by a tempest, accompanied with thunder, which 



104 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 
3686.-1691. 

committed general devastation. The inhabitants of Kettle- 
well and Starbotton, in Craven, were almost all drowned 
in a violent flood. These villages are situate under a great 
hill, whence the rain descended with such violence for an 
hour and a half, that the hill on one side opened, and 
casting up water into the air to the height of an ordinary- 
church steeple, demolished several houses, and carried 
away the stones entirely! 

1688. James II. displaced the lord mayor of York, 
Thomas Baynes, with several of the aldermen and others, 
and, on the 5th of October, appointed in their places 
Roman catholics, who were not even freemen of the city. 
This was a pretext for Raynes not delivering up the sword 
and mace. The office of lord mayor was, however, de- 
clared vacant till the 24th of the same month. 

December, watch and ivard were kept every night by the 
principal inhabitants of Leeds and other places, and heralds 
were iiying about the country with despatches concerning 
king James II., and William of Nassau, prince of Orange. 

On the 23rd of December, James II. left the country for 
France; and on the 13th February, in the ensuing year, 
James being held to have abdicated, William and Mary, 
prince and princess of Denmark, were proclaimed king 
and queen of England. 

1689. On the 30th of August this year died Dr. John Lake, 
sometime vicar of Leeds, and afterwards bishop of Chi- 
chester. He was one of the seven bishops who were 
committed to the tower of London in the reign of James 
II., but positively refused to take the oaths of allegiance 
to William III., and prepared for a deprivation, but was 

removed by death in his 66th year. In the winter was 

a remarkably long frost, and booths and sports upon the 

river Aire at Leeds. During this year the charter of 

king Charles II., to the borough of Leeds was restored by 
William and Mary, and is yet in force excepting where it 
is inconsistent with the Municipal Corporation act. 

1691. The large hell in the steeple at Halifax was cast 
this year, on which are the following words : — 
'• All you that hear my mournful sound, 
" Repent before you lye in ground." 
On the 30th of August a mortal sickness broke out in 
the city of York, by which 11,000 persons died. 

The Call Lane chapel was built this year. The rev. and 
pious Mr. Thos. Whitaker, was the pastor, descended from 
the deservedly famous Dr. Wm. Whitaker. 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 105 

1693.-1694. 

1693. On the Sth of September, a severe shock of an 
earthquake was felt in England ; and on the same day 
the chief town in Jamaica M^as wholly destroyed from 
a similar cause, and about 3,000 persons killed. 

In this year John Plarrison was born at Foulby near 
Pontefract, He was the sou of a carpenter, and brought 
up to the same trade. Drawn on by his natural taste, he 
applied himself to practical mechanics and clockmaking, 
and succeeded in constructing instruments of a then un- 
attained excellence. To him the world owes the com- 
pensator, a pendulum composed of metals, which, being 
unequal in the degrees of their dilation by heat, compen- 
sate and correct each other. He also invented a clock for 
ship-board, which the motion of the vessel could not 
disturb. He made a chronometer to determine the longi- 
tude at sea within the limits required by act of parliament, 
12th of Anne. For this last invention the Royal Society 
of London gave him a prize of £20,000. He died in 1776. 

1694. On the 3rd of March, this year, the common 
council of Leeds gave the sum of £40 as an encouragement 
and in consideration of Henry Gillert, of lieicester; and 
George Sorocold, of Derby; for laying an engine to convey 
water from the river Aire through the streets to all the 
houses in the town of Leeds, who should wish to purchase 
the same of them, and exempted them from taxes. 

April 3rd. A most lamentable fire broke out in a flax- 
man's house in Ousegate,York,ivhich consumed about thirty 

houses. Arclibisliop Tillotson died November 22nd, 

aged 65. He was born at Sowerby, near Halifax. He 
was the son of a respectable clothier, who initiated him 
in nonconformity, which, however, in maturer j^ears he 
rejected. His first employment in the church was that of 
curate of Cheshunt, in Hertfordshire. In 1662 he was 
offered the parish of St. Mary, Almondbury. In 1666 he 
took the degree of doctor in divinity, previous to which 
he had married a niece of Oliver Cromwell. In 1670 he 
was made prebendar}^ of Canterbur}^ and two years after 
dean of that church, having previously obtained a stall in 
St. Paul's cathedral. He was seven years on the list of 
chaplains to Charles II., and was the means of converting 
the earl of Shrewsbury to the Protestant faith. He was 
consulted by the princess Anne of Denmark, on the claim 
she had on the British crown. In May, 1691, he was con- 
secrated archbishop of Canterbur}^ and was immediately 
afterwards sworn a member of his majesty's privy council. 

Thomas Osborne, marquis of Caermarthen, &c., was 



106 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1694. 

created duke of Leeds, by William and Mary, on the 4th 

of March, 1694. Near to Kiveton park is Harthill church, 

under which, in a spacious vault, are arranged in splendid 

cofSns, the remains of many of the ancestors of this noble 

family. 

The following epitaph was once legible in Armley chapel 
yard: — "Susanna Vevers, died July 22nd, 1694. 

Since she is gone, why should we weep or cry ? 
It was God's will to give and tak, and try 
The parent's patience, and if good he see, 
He can give«iine if that his pleasure be." 

At the court of quarter sessions, at Leeds, about this 
time, it was ordered that Anne, the wife of Philip Saule, 
a person of lewd behaviour, be ducked for daily making 
strife and discord amongst her neighbours. The like order 
was made against Jane Milner and Elizabeth WooUer, 
The punishment of the "Ducking Stool" is very ancient. 
The Saxons called it the "Scealping Stole," or "Scolding 
Stool." In the time of Henry III. it was styled " Tom- 
berell," or "Tumbrill." It was afterwards called the 
"Trebucket," or " Cucking Stool. There was a Ducking 
Stool at Quarry-hill, Leeds, near the spa. At Morley, 
near Leeds, there was one which was originally situate 
somewhere about where the "Pinfold" now is, and was 
removed to Morley hole, upon the opening of the quarry 
for repairs of the roads. Its final remove was to the 
"Flush Pond," at the other end of the town, and near 
" Ratten-row." — " Riding the Stang," upon a fight between 
husband and wife, was another mode of correcting man- 
ners. This custom was very common during the last 
century, and may even now (1859) be occasionally wit- 
nessed in the neighbouring villages. A wanton wag, with 
plenty of gab, is carried through the street on a stang or 
pole, followed by all the rag-tag of the village with old 
tin cans and sticks, drumming and shouting as they march 
along. When the "nomine" is to be repeated they holt, 
while the wag aforesaid pronounces aloud some doggeril 
lines, beginning, 

" Ran — tan — tan — tan — 

It's neither your cause nor ours that we should ride the 

stang ; 
For you may hear by the sound of my frying-pan 
That Mistress has beat her good man," &c.. Sec. 

At the conclusion of which the youngsters give a tremen- 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 107 

1694.-1697. 

dous shout and march off to the next street. This practice 
is continued for three nights, then the effigy of the offender 
is burnt in front of his or her own door, amidst the ex- 
clamation of neighbours that it '• sarves her reight." 

Another curious custom now little practised, was that 
of "thrashing" or pelting common people with old shoes 
on their return from church, upon the wedding day. 

1694. Committees were appointed by the corporation of 
Leeds, to "swear at any time and place within the town 
any person whatsoever, a free man of the town and 
borough, upon such terms and considerations as to them 

should seem reasonable." — The sum of £60 lis. was 

paid to ^Ir. Arthur Monjoy, goldsmith, Briggate, for 
making the mace now used b}' the mayor of Leeds. He 
was executed at York in 1696, for counterfeiting coin. 
The mace is of silver gilt, and measures four feet eight 
inches in length. The shaft is beautifully engraved and 
ornamented. The head is encircled by a border of foliage, 
and is divided into four compartments, containing the na- 
tional insignia of England, France, Scotland, and Ireland, 
surmounted by the royal crowns of these kingdoms. The 
whole is surmounted by the imperial crown of great 
Britain. The weight of the head of the mace is 123 
ounces. 

1695. The window tax in England was first established 

this year. Robert Taylor, first clerk of St. John's 

church, in Leeds, died, aged 92 years. He is supposed to 
have held the appointment upwards of sixty years. 

The archbishop of York presented Mr. Thoresby, of 
Leeds, with several brass coins of Osbright and Ella, two 
Northumbrian princes, who both of them fell in the year 
867, warring against the Danes. These coins were taken 
out of a remarkable tumulus at the north-east end of the 
town of Ripou, and at a short distance from the minster. 
The tumulus, commonly called Ellshaw, or Alice-hill, is 
nearly of a conical form, the circumference at the base 
being about 900 feet, and the height of the slope 72 yards. 
From the base to the summit, it is wholly composed of 
sand, gravel, and human bones. 

1696. One of the king's mints was established in the 
manor house, in York, without Bootham bar, and bullion 
and plate coined there to the amount of £380,621, which 
was issued in consequence of the old coin being called in. 

1697. Ripon demanded tolls from the inhabitants of 
Leeds, which, being refused, Thoresby, the antiquarian, 
was requested to consult his manuscript collections, to see 



108 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 
I697.-I7OO. 

if he could find any document to justifj'- the demand. 
After diligent search, he found the copy of the charter of 
Henry VIII, and a reference where the original was 
lodged, which, being borrowed of the vicar, was produced 
at the assizes, and gained the victory, their's of Eipon 
being only granted by queen Mary. 

1699. The river Aire was made navigable to Leeds, and 
the C alder to Wakefield, by an act of parliament obtained 
by the "Aire and Calder Navigation Company," who in 
1760 extended the navigation of the Calder to Salterhebble, 
(since by a canal to Halifax.) A canal has been cut from 
the Aire at Knottingley, which saves a distance of seven- 
teen miles in the navigation from Leeds to Hull. The Aire 
lias its source near Malliam, (within t wen ty miles of the source 
of the Wharfe), and flows for thirty miles through the ro- 
mantic and fertile valley of Airedale, passing Skipton, Keigh- 
ley, and Bradford, to Leeds, where it begins to be navigable. 
It then proceeds to Castleford, where it is joined by the 
Calder; the united streams then pass on by Ferrybridge 
and Snaith, and flow into the Ouse, near Howden, which 
last river, having become augmented by the Wharfe, the Nidd, 
the Ure, the Swale, the Der\\ ent, and the Aire and Calder, 
enters the Humber near Blacktoft, and the vast accumula- 
tion of waters roll into the German ocean. The Leeds 

Friends' meeting house and school erected. Thoresby says, 
the Friends had a burial-place at Leeds as early as 1673, 
their original cemetery at Morley being too remote from 
the town. It appears that there was also part of an 
orchard at Knostrop devoted to the same purpose, by Mr. 
John Stable, who resided there, and was "tainted with 
quakerism, then new sprung up in these parts." Two tombs 
found there in Thoresby's time, bore the dates 1692. The 
old chapel in Leeds falling into decay, was pulled down, 
and the present edifice was erected on its site in 1788. 

1699. Jan. 27th. Thomas Sawer, being elected an 
assistant of the Leeds corporation, declined to accept office 
on the ground "that his father had laid an injunc'on upon 
him to the contrary," Avhereupon he was fined £20. 

1700. About this time the lord of the manor claimed 
a penny for every piece of undressed cloth sold in the hall 
at Halifax, and received weekly from that impost thirty and 
sometimes forty shillings. Great quantities of coloured 
cloth were then sold in the butchers' shambles, and the 
cloth market began at six in the morning in summer, and 

eight in the winter. This year the church at Keighley 

was modernized, and made uniform; the body of the church 
by the parish, and the choir by Mr. Gale, the rector. 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 109 

I7OO.-I702. 

About this time the Calls, in Leeds, is said to have 
"consisted of a footway through verdant fields and flowery- 
gardens," and Thoresby says, "that alderman Cookson had 
erected here a very pleasant scat with terras, walks, &c." 

1701. At "SVaddington, in Craven, Robert Parker, of Brows- 
holme, founded an hospital for ten Avidows; the trustees to 
choose one sober and orthodox person to read daily morning- 
and evening prayers ; also to take care that the chapel of 
the hospital never be converted into a school, or to any 
other use but to the worship and service of God, &c. In 
1719, the rental of the estate belonging to this hospital was 

£Q'6 Ss. ; in 1799 it amounted to £254. York castle, 

which was founded by "William the Conqueror, was now so 
deca5^ed by age, that it v.as aa holly taken down, and a new 
structure erected for the county prison, to which consider- 
able additions have been made, at the cost of several hun- 
dred thousand pounds. Mary Law, by vv'ill dated Feb. 

4th of this year, devised her estates at Lov/er Yv'oodhouse 
and Sastrick, in trust for the mointenance of four poor 
widovrs, in the township of Kastrick, and to the use of a 
school for teaching twenty poor children to read and Avrite, 
to be chosen within the townships of Eastrick and Brig- 
house. At a court held at Leeds on the 10th May, this 

year, it was ordered that " ever}^ member, assistant, or 
common councell man" of the corporation, except "old Mr. 
Hargreave," should provide himself vv^ith a suitable gown 
under a penalty of £5; and also attend the mayor to church 
upon festival days and oilier public and solemn occasions, 
under a penalty of one shilling. The gov/ns Avere ordered 
to be black, faced and trimmed with black velvet, or plush, 

and with loug hanging sleeves. In the philosophical 

transactions for this year, is the following remarkable 
passage from Leigh's history of Cheshire: — "In draining 
Martin meer, a fcAv years ago, were found multitudes of 
roots and bodies of great firs in their natural position, with 
great quantities of their cores and eight canoes, such as 
the old Britons sailed in ; and in another meer Avas found a 
brass or bronze kettle, beads of amber, a small millstone, 
the Avhole head of an hippopotamus, and human bodies 
entire and uncorrupted." 

1702. At Lofthouse, near Leeds, a smith worked with 
tAvo hammers, one of Avhich, by an ingenious contrivance, 
he moA^ed Avith his foot, enabling him to have the use of 
his left hnnd to hold the iron, Avhile he struck Avith his 

right : thus saving the expense of a labourer. In the 

neighbourhood of Eccup moor and Addle, near Leeds, 

10 



110 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

3702-1704. 

were discovered the ruins of a Roman town, wliicli seems 
to have been very considerable, for, in digging no deeper 
than necessity obliged to make way for the plough, as 
many stones were extracted as served to build two walls, 
the one a yard high and twenty-seven roods long : the 
other a yard and a half high, and fifty-two roods long. 
They were rough stones, the foundations of houses, many 
of which were three or four courses high. Fragments of 
urns of a very large size were also found ; and the re- 
mains of two funeral monuments, one inscribed PIEN- 
TISSIMA, another D, M, S. CADIDINL^, FORTUNA PIA 

V, A, X, (Vixit Ami, X.) In November, this year, the 

Leeds corporation ordered the sum of .£12 to be allowed 
out of the public stock, to be expended at a treat, to 
commemorate the successes of the British army abroad, 
with a proviso " that whoever stayes to spend above that, 

they shall pay it out of their own pockets." John 

Milner, B.D., an eminent scholar, sometime vicar of Leeds, 
died this year (Feb. 16) at St. John's college, Cambridge, 
whither he had retired, being dissatisfied with the oaths 
imposed on the accession of William IlL 

1703. A card, of which the following is a cop3% is pre- 
served at York, in the house or inn to which it refers, 
and which may serve to show the accelerated speed with 
which we travel nov/, compared with that of our fore- 
fathers: — "York four days coach, begins the 18th of April, 
1703." "All that are desirous to pass from London to 
York, or from York to London, or any other place on 
that road, let them re])air to the Black Swan in Hol- 
bourne, in London, and the Black Swan, in Couej^-street, 
York, ;it each of which places they may be received in 
a stage coach every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 
which performs the v.hole journey in four days, if God 

permit." Nov. 26. A remarkable storm of wind 

through the whole of this night, was particularly de- 
structive in the metropolis, the damage which it oc- 
casioned in the city alone, was estimated at tv/o millions 
sterling, and the suburbs equally suffered. Several persons 
were killed by the fall of buildings, and near 200 were 
wounded. All the ships in the river but four were driven 
from their moorings, and the destruction at sea far ex- 
ceeded that on land, twelve men of war, with 1800 men 
on board, were lost within sight of the shore, and the 
Eddystone lighthouse was swept away by this storm. 

1704. About this time the new French fashions were 
adopted by courtiers, physicians, and othc; professional 



THE SURROU^sDING DISTRICT. Ill 

1704.-1707. 

persons m England, also the higher order of geiitr}', and 
continued during the reigns of Geo. I. and II. This dress 
of tlie old English gentleman, as it afterwards came to be 
called, consisted of a periwig in formal curls, partly con- 
tained in a silk bag on the shoulder, a small cocked hat, 
full bottomed coat, short breeches, blue or scarlet stock- 
ings drawn over the knee, and square-toed shoes, with 
small buckles and high red heels. Coats were m^de of 
velvet, silk, or satin, as A\"ell as broad cloth, and their 

colours were verj- fanciful. The female attire of the 

eighteenth century was formal and tasteless. The most 
odious piece of attire introduced in the earh- part of the 
century, was the large M'halebone petticoat, ^\hich de- 
generated into the hooped petticoat, and made a lady to 
appear as if standing in an inverted tub. In the reigns 
of Geo. I. and II., straw bonnets, loose gowns, called 
sacques, hooded silk cloaks, small muffs, and ornamental 
aprons were worn, Avith the aa atch, necklace, and the 
fan, which was sometimes from twelve to eighteen inches 
in length, and beautifully made. Spanish broad-cloth, 
trimmed with gold lace, was used for ladies' dresses, and 
fur-bclowed scarfs were worn from the duchess to the 
peasant. 

17U5. Sir TVilliam Lowther, who was born in Leeds, 
near the church, in Kirkgate, died this } ear. He was 

high sheriff of the countv in 16S1. Died this year, 

the Rev. Christopher Xesse, M.A., who had been ejected 
from the parish church of Leeds, where he had been 
lecturer first to Mr. Stiles, and afterwards to Lr. Lake. The 
Bartholomew act obliged him to j^reach privately, and 
then the five-mile act banished him from Leeds, but 
when the times grew more favourable, he returned and 

preached at his own house in Hunslet. David HaHley^ 

M.D., author of '-Observations on Man," Avas born at 
Armley, August 30th, and died at Bath, in 1757, aged 52. 
He Avas the son of a clerg}'man, and successively the 
pupil of Dr. Saunderson, Sir Isaac XcAvtou, and Mr. Locke, 
after recelAing an academical education at Cambridge. 

1707. May Ist. England and Scotland became united, 
and the island thence called Great Britain. The union of 
Great Britain a\ ith Ireland took place in 1S04. 

Sylvester Petyt, Esq., by his Avill, left £24,018, Old 
South bea annuities, and a library at Skipton. The ob- 
jects of Avhich donation are, persons, AvhereA'er resident, 
standing in need of immediate relief, according to the 
discretion of the trustees, and amongst Ashom the re- 



112 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 
1707.-1710. 

mainder of the income is ainiually distributed, after paying 
.£20 a year to Christ's college, Cambridge, small salaries 
to a schoolmaster and librarian at Skipton, and for putting 
out annually about fourteen poor children apprentices in 
the county of York, and for buying books for the use of 
the school. Boys are admitted free of expense indefinitely 

throughout the parish. The Rev. Thomas Wright, B.A., 

autlior of the antiquities of Halifax, "svas born at Black- 
burn, -^n Lancashire, in this year : he was several years 
curate of Halifax, and afterwards perpetual curate of 
Ripponden. 

1708. A very interesting collection of Roman coins were 

found this year at Cookridge, near Otley. A contested 

election for the return to parliament of two members for 
Yorkshire, took place this year. The result of the poll was 
as follows : — 

Lord Viscount Downe, ....... 4,737. 

Sir William Strichland, 3,452. 

Colonel D'Arcy, 3,257. 

Sir Arthur Raze, 3,139. 

Mr. Wentworth, 958. 

1709. The 22nd Nov., being a day of thanksgiving for 
the success of the British forces, the Leeds corpora tioi 
attended divine service at the parish church, after which, 
they agreed to "meet againe att Mrs. Owen's, att 5 of 
the clocke in the evening, to drinck to her majesty's 
health and further good success"; the expenses of the 
evening to be at the " corporac'on's charge." 

1710. October 9th, the great court leet and court barou 
were held in the free school at Leeds, which was fitted 
up accordingly, with conveniences for both juries. 

On the r2th October, 1710, Richard Wilson, Esq., bar- 
rister~at-law, was elected recorder of* Leeds ; but her 
majesty refused to assent to the election, and John 
Walker, Esq., of Headingley, was elected in his stead, by 

her majesty's letters patent. The ancient Moot Hail 

was relDuilt, in front of Avhich stood the pillory and the 
stocks. It was sold along with the shops and rooms 
beneath it, under the authority of an act of parliament 
for the improvement of the town of Leeds, passed in 

1824. The purchase money, which amounted to £3,043 
6s. 8d., Avas laid out in the purchase of stock, to be ap- 
propriated to the use of the poor. It was demolished m 

1825. The White Cloth Hall was erected where the old 
hospital stood. 



-=^r 





THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 113 

17] 1. In the Leeds parish church there is an epitaph to 
the memory of Mr. Jer. Barstow, who died 25th of April, 
this 5^ear, as Ibllows : — 

Death neither 3'outh nor age doth spare, 
Therefore, to follow me prepare ; 
"Whilst life doth last, let piety 
(As it was mine) your practice be : — 
Let virtue crown 3"our days, and then 
"SVe happih" shall meet again. 

An attempt was made to prevent merchants sitting as 

representatives in the House of Commons. John 

Atkinson, Esq., was mnyor of Leeds this year. He subse- 
quently built the house at the corner of Call-lane and 
Duncan-street, which Thoresby says "is a delicate house; 
that ibr the exquisite ^Torkmanship of the stone Avork, and 
for a painted staircase, excellently performed by Mons. 
Parmentier, excels all in the town." This buildirg was 
many years the post office, and residence of Mark Temple, 
Esq., then postmaster of Leeds. It was purchased and 
taken dov'n to make room for the Central Slarket, which 
ntiw occupies the site. 

The follov.ing list of miscellaneous benefactions Avas 
formerly preserved in the old church, at Leeds, and was 
made out in the year 1711:— 

1600- Baron Savile's decree concerning the toll-dish, was a third 
part to the bailiff (now to the mayor) of Leeds, a third part to the 
poor, and a third part to repair the market-stead and highwaj's. 1616. 
"William Rushworth gave the moiety of a shop in the Shambles, of the 
yearly rent of 18-. 4d., to the poor of Leeds, and the other moiety to 
the poor of "Whitkirk. 1620, The Town Hall was built with monies 
belonging to the poor, which now yields them .^•22 16s. 8d. 1633. 
John Marshall gave out of the close, called Well Ing, in Sheepscar- 
lane, 30s. to the poor of the town and parish of Leeds. 1636. 
Ewan Story gave a close at Cross-Green, called Poorfolks Close, of the 
yearly rent of 50s. ; the overseer of the poor paying out of the said 
profits 10s. yearly to the lecturer of the old church 1636. John 
Swanson gave two houses near the Park-Eutts, of the yearly rent of 
30s., another house near the same, of the rent of 18s. per annum, 
which is to he paid by the overseers to four of the poorest shoemakers 
in Leeds town and Kirk-gate. Mr. James Cotes, who built the chapel 
at Headingley, left ^'28, the interest to be paid to the minister of that 
chapel. 1638. Mr. Henry Watkinson left ^10, the interest to be 
paid to the lecturer of the old church. 1638. Mrs. Alice Lodge gave 
the profits of a close ia Woodhouse-tields, called Cringles, of the 
yearly rent of £5, for the good of the town of Leeds, to be disposed 
of by her executors. 1639. Mr. John Harrison, alderman, (the noble 
founder of the new church) gave the hospital near the said church for 



114 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1711. 

poor indigent people to dwell in, leaving towards their maintenance 
hons;=s a:.d lands in the New-street and Tenters, of the yearly rent of 
.£52 5s., and also the undivided moiety of Flay-crow mill, in the 
Tenters. He gave also his houses and lands in the Head-row and 
Vicar-lane, of the yearly rent of ^30, the profit;^ thereof to go for the 
preferment of his sister's children, and their issue 5 and for want of 
such, to the better maintenance of the poor in the abovesaid hospital. 
1642. Mr. Samuel Casson gave the undivided moiety of a farm, called 
Mankland's farm, at Brome-hill, of the yearly rent of ^£^6 15s. 8d., 
to the poor of the town and parish of Leeds. He gave also ^'100 for 
ever, to be lent by the aldermen and vicar to twenty poor tradesmen, 
such as liave charge of wife and children, gratis, for onp year or longer, 
they giving good security for the true payment of tlie same again. 
1644. Mr. Josias Jenkinson (who built the almhouses upon the Mill- 
hill) sa.ye a farm in Great Woodhouse, of the yearly rent of ^]0, to 
be distributed at Christmas by his trustees, for ever 1653. Mrs. 
Isabel Leighten, gave, for the benefit of the poor, and for poor chil- 
dren's Learning, the profits of three closes in Woodhouse, of the yearly 
rent of .^6 10s., to be disposed of by her trustees. 1658. Mr. Joseph 
Hillary gave .^£^20 to increase the stock of the company of Cloth- 
workers. Mr. John Thoresby, alderman, gave a rent-charge of 20s. 
per annum to the poor, out of a piece of ground at the town-enl, called 
the Paddock. 1665. Captain Thomas Ambler gave .£30, and (1676) 
Mr. Christopher Watkinson, alderman, <;£?20, Vv-hich two sums are put; 
together and lent out far the benefit of the poor, and are to be dis- 
posed of by the miyor, aldermen, and common-council of Leeds. 
J 67 1- Benjamin Wade, Esq., gave ^6*200, with which was purchased a 
rent-charge of .^10 per annum, which is j^early given to the minister 
of Headiagley chapel, the Rev. Mr. John Killing beck, trustee. 1673. 
Monpy p.iid unto the committee of pious uses, upon the redemption of 
Mr. Hnzle's mortgage for the use of the poor, the sum of <^150. 1676. 
Samuel Sunderland, Esq., gave several tenements, to the value of ^5 
per annuin, to a school in- Wortley, with power to erect upon the Com- 
mon a school, which was done at the charge of the inhabitants. 1679. 
Mr. Thomas Idle gave ^100, the yearly profits to be paid to a 
preaching minister at Holbeck chapel, or, if there be a vacancy for 
six months, to Armlpy chapel : Thomas Lee, Mr. Robert Hethering- 
ton, Mr. Martin Huntington, and William Lambert, trustees. 1687. 
Mrs. Elizabeth Atkinson gave .^50 to the poor of Leeds, which is in 
the hands of Edward Atkinson, Esq. 1696. Mr. John Robinson gave 
a house, which, being unfinished, was sold for .56^20, which sum was 
employed towards the erection of a new house for the minister of 
Armley chapel ; he also gave three cottages to the poor. 1699. Mr. 
William Calverley, alderman, gave .;^110, the interest to be yearly 
distributed by the mayor, vicar, and two senior aldermen, to the poor 
of Leeds. 1703. Mrs. Ann Moxon gave <^100 to the poor of Leeds. 
170 — Mrs. Eleanor Scudamore gave <:^50 to the poor; with which 
two sums, and j£^10 paid by the committee, were purchased two closes 
in Pontefract-lane, of the annual rent of .;^8. 1708. Mary Bland^ 
widow, left a rent-charge of £3 per annum out of her houses in 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 115 

1711.-1713. 

Cripplegite, to the Charity-school, or other picas uses ; Mr. Bryan 
Dixon, Mr. Ralph Thoresbj, Mr. Jacob Syinpson, trustees. 1708. 
Geors'e Ellis, ot" Brampton- Byerle}", gent.,, gave .=£50 to the Charity- 
school, to be laid out in lands. Mr. George Banister, of North- 
hall Grange, gave the rents of a farm of <^6 per annum, clear rent, 
at Sutton, near Ferr.ybridge, to take place after his death, for a salary 
to an orgaust, when an organ .shall be set up in the parish church of 
Leeds, or St. John's chapel there; and till then, to be disposed of to 
such charity as his trustees, viz,, two of his neare>t relations, in con- 
junction with the maj^or, recorder, one of the eldest aldermen, the 
vicar of Leeds, and the minister of St. John's cbapel, all for the time 
being, shall think most meet. I/IO. Bryan Dixon, of Huns!et-laae, 
gent., bequeathed ..^10 to the Charity-school. 1711. '^'^i'- Samuel 
Cookson, of Leeds, merchant, gave by will ^20; and, 1711. Mrs 
Mary Calverley ^10: both to the Charity-school, Mr. William 
Cotton, merchant, gave .^50 to the same some years ago. 

171'2. July 2nd, the mayor Ox^ Leeds, &c., delivered an 
address to queen Anne, at Kensington, v.hich her majesty 
received very kindlj^, looking very pleasantly on all present, 
and curtsying-, as his grace the duke of Leedi^ told her he 
could assure her majesty it came from a populous and loyal 
corporation, that was both Avilling and able to a^S'st her 
majesty, if there was occasion, but which he hoped there 

never vv'ould be. Died the Rev. Mr. Stretton, who had 

been domestic chaplain to lord Fairfax, after which he was 
minister at Mill-hill cliapel, Leeds, till the year 1677, when 
he removed to London, vrhere he died. The celebrated 
Matthevv' Henry preached his funeral sermon, in which he 
gave him a very high character. 

1713. The white marble statue of queen Anne, executed 
by Carpenter, was, at the expense of alderman William 
Milner, erected in front of the Moot hall, in the year 1713; 
and the follov>'ing inscription in letters of gold upon black 
marble, v/as subsevpendy ordered by the corporation to be 
placed thereunder, at their expense : — 

"ecce! ixsigjN'em statuam LoxDiiVExsi (ultra ipsam paulinam lohdi- 

1IE>-SEM) IXSIGXISSIM/E BE.INiE ANX;E OJINI LICET IMAGINE LONGE MAJOSI 
PIC COXi?EG:'>ATE:.I. ET A G0LIELJ1O MILXER, ARMIGERO, PRUDEriTI JUSTI- 
CIARIO, FIDELI SCEITO GE>'EROSO CIVE OPULEXTO MERCATORG, Pi:XITU3 
EXTRUCTAM." 

(Tratislation,) 

"mar:; this ELEGANT STATUE, (SUPERIOR EVEX TO THAT OF ST. PAUL'S 
IN LOXDOX), PIOUSLV C0X3ECRATED TO OUR MOST ILLUSTRIOUS QUEEX AXXB, 
(though FAJl SURPASSING EVE?>Y BEPRESEXTATION ;) AXD ERECTED AT THE 
SOLE EXPENSE OF WILLIAM MILNER, KNIGHT, A PRUDENT JUSTICE OF THB 
PEACE, A FAITHFUL SUBJECT, A NOBLE CITIZEN, AND AN CPULEXT MERCHANT." 



116 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 
I713.-I715. 

This statue was removed to the Com Exchange at 
the top of Brig-gate in 1828, and the following is the in- 
scription now beneath it : — ■ 

THIS STATUE OF QUEEN ANNE WAS ERECTED 

AT THE COST OF ALDERMAN MILNER 

IN THE FRONT OF THE ANCIENT MOOT HALL, A.D., 1712; 

WAS RE3TOEED AT THE EXPENSE OF THE CORPORATION"; 

AND TRANSFERRED TO THIS SITE, A.D., 1828 ; 

THE MOOT HALL HAVING BEEN PURCHASED BY THE TOWN 

AND DEMOLISHED, A.D,, 18i'5. 

There were great rejoicings at Leeds, and a splended pro- 
cession and festival in honour of the queen, on the day 
when her statue was erected. 

1714. The interest of money in England was fixed by 
act of parliament at 5 per cent. George 1st, the hrst king 
of the house of Hanover, ascended the British throne, 

August 1st, this year. On November 1st died John 

Radcliife, M.D., a native of Wakefield, and the most 
celebrated physician of the British court^, though remark- 
ably blunt and unreserved in his conversation, even before 
his royal patients, and detesting, through his whole life, 
the character of a sycophant. On going to London he 
found his reputation had arrived there before him, and 
such was his success that he soon amassed a large fortune ; 
and his apothecary by his means accumulated £50,000. 
Being sent for to Kensington, to see William III., his 
majesty showed him his swelled ancles, sayiug, well 
doctor, what do you think of these ? " Why trul}^" 
replied the Yorkshireman, bluntly, " I would not have 
your majesty's two legs for your three kingdoms." His 
frankness also gave much offence to Queen Anne, whom 
he refused to attend during her last illness : this brought 
upon him so much censure, that he was obliged to confine 
himself to his country seat, where he soon afterwards died, 
having for many years been as free with his bottle as his 
tongue. He was buried at Oxford, having left a large 
portion of his property to the university there. 

The organ in Leeds parish church set up and first used 
on Sunday, August 29th ; Mr. John Carr, from Norwich, 
organist. The south gallery was also erected this year. 

1715. Thoreshifs Ducatus Leodiensis, containing the his- 
tory and antiquities of Leeds, in one folio volume, was 
published this year. Appended to his history is a copious 
catalogue and description of his collection of curiosities. 

At this time there were in Boar-lane, several good houses 
belonging to Sir William Lowther, but they were sold in 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 117 

I^lo.-l/lS. 

17^2 to Sir William Rooke, and re-built in 1750 l\v Mr. J. 
Dixon. In the same street was also another g-ood mansion, 
belonging- to Sandford Arthington, M.B., in right of his 
wife, Avhosc father, Marmaduke Hickes, Esq. was four 

times chief magistrate of Leeds. Keighley grammar 

school Avas founded by John Drake. The vane and 

one-third of the spire of the church at Wakefield, having 
been blown down, were partially restored this year. 
A considerable quantity of Roman coins were found afc 

Beeston. John KeUingbecJc, B.D., vicar of Leeds from 

1690 to 171'">, was a native of Headingle}'-, and eldest sou 
of John Kellingbeck, Esq., who was mayor of Leeds, iu 
167/. " He Tv^as," says Thoresb}', " a singular blessing to 
this populous parish and parts adjacent." His ministerial 
abilities ^vere so conspicuous, that Archbishop Sharp (who 
collated him to a prebend of York,) publicly at a visitation 
proposed him as an example to the clergy both in preach- 
ing and practice. He llrst introduced in this parish a 
monthly communion, v/hich still continues. He died 
universally lamented, Feb. 12th, 1715-16, aged 66 years. 
A volume of his sermons has been published. It is said 
he was so habitually generous that his spouse found it; 
necessary frequently to remove money from his pocket by 
night, and place it in her own safe keeping. 

1716. About this time a curious antique stone, five inches 
high by four broad, representing the head of a female, 
(supposed to be Lucretia's) v/as found in digging a cellar 
near the ruins of St. i^.Iary's abbey, York. 

171s. The Leeds Mercury, then published weekly, ou 
Tuesdays, v/as first printed this year, July 1st, by " John 
Hirst, over-against Kirkgate-end." During the first two 
years of its existence this now popular journal consisted 
of twelve small quarto pages, the first of which is orna- 
mented with a rude wood cut, representing t\\o Golden 
Fleece, and a fat old postaian, with a wig, and a low- 
crowned and broad-brimmed hat, blowing a straight horn, 
and appearing to gallop on a heavy bob-tailed horse, under 
which was printed, in large type, " THE LEEDS MER- 
CURY, being the freshest advices, Foreign and Domestick, 
together with an account of trade," &c., &c. — The paper 
then sold for three-half-pence, and the editor of that day 
appears to have considered the local affairs of his own 
town and neighbourhood to be too well known to require 
noticing : during the whole of the period alluded to, the 
Mercury contained nothing but brief extracts from the 
London papers, with the weekly metropolitan bills of 



118 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

I7I8-I72I. 

mortality, and casualties. The Mercury was afterwards 
published by James Lister, in New-Street; the price was 
2d., and the stamp a halfpenny ; it was discontinued on 
the 17th of June, 1755, and, after an interv^al of eleven 
years and a half, was resumed bv Jas. Bowling, in January, 
1767. On the 4th of October, 1794, the Mercury devolved 
into the hands of Messrs. Binns and Brown, by whom it 
was transferred, on the 7th of March, 1801, to the late 
Edward Baines. The present proprietors and editors are 
Messrs. Edward and Frederick Baines, and the paper is 
now published three times a week, Tuesdays, Thursdays, 
and Saturdays, at their office in Albion Street. 

1719. Oct. 8th. Mrs. Rachel Dixon, by will, devised a 
messuage in Briggate, and two houses in Lowerhead-row, 
in trust, (in case of a contingency, which has since hap- 
pened) the rents and profits to be yearly equally divided 
amongst three necessitous clergymen's widows, whose 
husbands should have died beneficed, in some of the ad- 
joining parishes to that of Leeds ; the dispensing of the 
bounty to be in the hands of the vicar, and the minister of 
St. John's for the time being and for ever. 

1720. Jan. 23rd. Mr. Robertson, in the presence of the 
magistrates of Leeds, and about .5030 spectators, swam 
upon the river Aire in his leathern boat, which, before he 
inflated it with a pair of bellows, was so small and pliable, 
as to be folded up in a handkerchief, if not put into the 
pocket. Mr. Robertson was born in France, of Scotch 

parents. At a short distance above the great gateway 

of Bolton priory, stood the " Priors' Oak," which was felled 
about this time, and sold for £70. According to the price 
of wood at that time, it could not contain less than 1400 

feet of timber. At a court held at Leeds, on the 7th of 

May, it was "agreed and ordered by a inajorit}^ of votes, 
that no more money shall for the future be expended at any 
publick or com'on treat out of the corporac'on's stock, until 
the corporac'on is out of debt." 

1721. Inoculation for the small pox first used on criminals. 
Vaccine Inoculation (cow pox) first kiiovrn in 1799. 

The South Sea Scheme, which ruined maii}^ Yorkshire 
and other families, was now exploded, and John Aislabie, a 
member for Ripon, was expel ed the House of Commons, 
for secretly burning a ledger, containing accounts to the 
amount of £8-12,000, belonging to the unfortunate dupes of 
the projectors of this monstrous bubble, the bursting of 
Avhich reduced many to beggary, and ought to become a 
lasting caution to future speculators. The outlines of this 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 119 

1721.-1723. 

notorious scheme are as follows : — Ever since the Revolu- 
tion, the g-overmnent had continued to borro^v money from 
several trading companies, and among- the rest, from the 
South Sea Companj-, Avho, under the pretence of being 
satisfied v^ ith less interest, proposed to buy up all the debts 
of the nation, and for this purpose v.ere allowed to raise 
monej'- by opening a subscription to a scheme for trading to 
the South Seas. Such was the rage for purchasing shares, 
that, under the expectation of great gains, the government 
creditors hastened to exchange their stock for that of the 
South Sea Companj'-, Avhilst others sold their estate:^, nnd 
called in their mortgages, &c., to become shareholders in 
this vile scheme, which succeeded far beyond the anticipa- 
tion of its projectors, many of whom were afterwards pun- 
ished by parliament, who also took some care to redress the 
sufferers. 

1722. At Eippondeu, near Halifax, there happened ou 
May the 18th, 1722, " a most remarkable flood, A^hicli, with 
great violence did break into the chapel, and bj'' its weight 
and pressure bear down and carry away the greatest part 
of the north side, Avitli the stones and timber thereof, and 
pews therein, and tore up the graves and carried away many 
dead bodies, and left their parts scatter'd in the river and 
on the banks, a great many miles distance ; and so under- 
mined the remainder of the chapel, and shook and damaged 
the >■ alls, that it was absolutely necessarj^ to re-build it on 
higher ground, to prevent the like danger for the future. 
Accordingly, a new fabric was erected, and consecrated 
September the 9th. 1737, by Dr. Martin Benson, then lord 
bishop of Gloucester." Between the hours of three and 
five in the afternoon, the water had risen seven yards per- 
pendicular in Ripponden vale, and bore down in its course 
several bridges, mills, and a number of houses ; many per- 
sons ; Iso lost their lives. The first stone of Trinity 

church, Leeds, was laid on the 27th of August, by the Rev. 
Henry Robinson, son of Henry Robinson, vicar of Leeds, 
and great nephcAv to "the Benefactor," who endowed it 
with £80 in iand; the church v^as consecrated by arch- 
bishop Blackburn, on August 10th, 1727. The fabric cost 
£4,5o3 9s. 6d., towards which, lady Elizabeth Hastings, of 
Ledstone Hall, gave £1000. The stone, which was got at 
Black moor, was given by Mr. Killingbeck, a Roman. 
catholic, of Hooton Pagnell. 

1723. The summer of this j^ear was remarkable for an 
extreme drought, vvliich prevailed generally : at York, the 
waters of the Ouse were reduced, till the base of the 



120 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 
I724.-I727. 

middle arch of Ouse bridge Avas completely dry for several 
yards round. 

1724. John Smeatou, the celebrated mechanic and civil 
engineer, was born at Austhorpe, near Leeds, June 8th. 
When the Eddystone Light house was burnt down in 1754, 
he was selected to superintend the building of another, and 
he accomplished this great monument to his abilities and 
perseverance in 1759. He was afterwards employed in a 
great number of useful undertakings, and among other 
things, he made the Calder navigable. He died at Aus- 
thorpe, October 28th, 1792. 

The inscription on the monument in Whitkirk church, 
near Leeds, to this celebrated man is as follows : — 

" Sacred to the memory of John Siiieaton, F.^.S , a man v/hom 
God had endowed v/ith the most- extraordinary abilities, which he in- 
defatigably exerted for the benefit of mankind, in works of science and 
philosophical research ; more especially as an engineer, and a mechanic. 
His principal work, the Eddystone Lighthouse, erecied on a rock in the 
open sea, (where one had been washed away by the violence of a storm, 
and another had been consumed by the rage of fire,) secure in its own 
stability and the wise precautions for its safety, seems not unlikely to 
convey to distant ages, as it does to every nafion of the globe, the 
name of its constructor. He was born at Austhorpe, June 8th, 1/24, 
and departed this life October 28th, 1/92." 

1726. The Old Chapel, near St. John's church, in Leeds, 

was converted into a charity school. John Smythe, 

Esq., formerly of Heath, near AVakefield, left by will, certain 
messuages, &c., in Halifax, the income of which is paid 
by the governors to a schoolmaster, appomted by them, 
for teaching as free scholars, six children to read and write, 
and the surplus is appropriated to supplying an allo'svance 
of IGs. a year to the schoolmaster, for every child beyond 
the six, whom he instructs in the same way. 

1727. Sir Isaac Newton died, aged 85. The Leeds 

vicarage house, which, with the land it stood upon, was 
given in 1453 by William Scott, of Potternewton, was re- 
built this year by the Rev. Mr. Cookson, and after standing 
nearly a century, it was taken down, and the site and croft 
converted into a large free market. The inhabitants pur- 
chased a handsome house in Park-place, as the future 

vicarage house. Tong Chiorch, in the parish of Birstal, 

was re-built by subscription in 1727. The honourable 

Thomas Watson Wentworth was elected representative 
for Yorkshire, v/ith Sir George Savile ; but being created 
Baron Malton in 1728 he was succeeded by Cholmley 
Turner, Esq. 



THE SURROUXDIKG DISTRICT. 121 

1 728.-1733. 

1728. On the Sth of May, this year, it was ordered that 
the Mace supplied to the Leeds corporation by Mr. Arthur 
Monjoy, should be re-gilded, and the old silver mace sold 
to defraj' the expenses thereof. The work was performed 
by Mr. Isaac Hancock, whose bill amounted to £15 13s. 5d., 
and the old 3Iace was ordered to be sold to him at the rate 
of OS. per ounce. Another coat of gold was given to this 
badge of office in 1771, in addition to which it has a few 
years ago undergone a complete repair. 

1729. Mrs. Mary Potter died Ma}' 31st, and bequeathed 
£2000 for the erection and endowment of the alms houses, 
near St. John's church, in Leeds, which, pursuant to her 
will, were built in 173S. 

1730. Leeds bridge was enlarged for double carriages, 
and two men were killed duriiig the alteration. 

1733. Sept. Sth. Some workmen digging a well at 
Carlton, discovered a vaulted sepulchre, eight feet long 
and five feet broad, about eighteen feet beneath the surface, 
wherein was found a set of large human bones, as white 
as ivory, and a helmet standing over the head, in a niche. 
On the v/all were sculptured some Saxon characters, and 
the date "992," being 74 years previous to the Norman 

conquest. The Rev. James Scott, D.D., rector of 

Simonburn, a descendent of the benevolent Mr. Harrison, 
was born at Leeds, in 1733. His fame as an orator was 
such, that whenever he preached, the church was crowded 
to excess. This was the case whenever he occupied the uni- 
versity pulpit at Cambridge, which he frequently did during 
his residence there. Noblemen, bishops, heads of houses, 
professors, tutors, masters of arts, undergraduates, all 
tiocked to St. Mary's to hear him. His first employment 
in the church was the lectureship of St. John'^:. Leeds. 
He ^^'as afterAvards lecturer at tin? 'iVinity cliurc]i, ^vhich 
he vacated at the end of the year. . Some time after he 
Avas presented to the rectory of Simonburr, in Northum- 
berland, which he held till his death, w]:!ich took place on 
the 10th of December, 1814, in his Slst year. 

The follov/ing S2)rings in Leeds are noticed in fhe 
Magna jBn^«7i7iia, (published in 1733), as follows: — ''■St. 
Peter's Spring, intensely cold, but beneficial to such as 
arc troubled with rheumatism, rickets, &c. ; Eyc-hright 
Well, near the Monk-pits, celebrated as a cure for sore 
eyes ; a spring at the High Dam, ' whose water, by the 
powder of galls, will turn into a purple colour'; and 
the Spaiv on Quarry-hiU, Vv'hich surpasses all the rest, 
'being a Panacea,' and the Ducking Stool, for the cure 
of scolds, being near it." 11 



122 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 
1734.-1735. 

1734. A contested election for the return of two re- 
presentatives for Yorkshire, commenced on Wednesday, 
May 15th, and closed on Wednesday, May 22nd, when the 
numbers polled were as follows : — 

Sir Miles Stapylton, 7,896. 

Cholmley Turner, 7,879. 

Sir Eowland Winn, 7,699. 

Hon. Mr. Wortley, 5,898. 

In the city of York, an elegant figure of Saturn, formed 
of mixed metal, was discovered in Walmgate, supposed 
to have been one of the Penates, or household gods of the 

Romans. July 2nd. Fifty sheriffs of Lgndon were 

chosen in one day : thirty-five of whom paid their tines. 
In 1414, owing to the wars, there were not respectable 
persons enough to serve the office. Anciently, in England, 
ladies were appointed sheriffs. They were first nominated 
by William the Conqueror, in 1079. The present mode of 
appointing them has been followed since about 1461. 

The inhabitants of Ossett, a village three miles from 
Wakefield, have been employed in making broad woollen 
cloth from time out of mind. In this year, the weavers, 
&c , employed in that trade, had to work fifteen hours 
every day for eightpence. A horn was blown at five 
o'clock in the morning, the time for beginning, and at 
eight at night, the time for leaving their work. The 
clothiers had to take their goods to Leeds to sell, and had 
to stand in Briggate in all sorts of weather. About the 
year 17'^6, Richard Wilson, a resident of Ossett, made two 
pieces of broad clofh ; he carried one of them on his head 
to Leeds, and sold it — the merchant being in want of the 
fellow piece, he went from Leeds to Ossett, then carried 
the other piece to Leeds, and then walked to Ossett again; 

he walked about forty miles that day. The following 

is a copy of an inscription in the church yard of Heyden, 
in Yorkshire : — " Here lieth the body of William Strutton, 
of Padrington, buried the 18th of May, 1734, aged 97 ; 
who had by his first wife, 28 children, and by a second 
wife, 17; was father to 45, grandfather to 86, great grand- 
father to 97, and great great grandfather to 23, in all 251." 
1735. On the 9th of February, died Mr. Thomas Bridges, 
of Leeds, whom Dr. Whitaker designates a " true anti- 
quary," remarkable for industry and exactness in recording 
the transactions of this town for a series of years. 

In consequence of petitions from the woollen manu- 



THE SWRROUNDIIS'G DISTRICT. 123 

I735.-I739. , 

facturers of Yorkshire and Westmoreland, two bills were 
passed b3' which the ports of Lancaster and Great Yar- 
mouth were opened for the importation of wool and 

woollen yarn from Ireland. The price of bread and 

other provisions being greatly advanced, owing to an ex- 
portation of corn, on which there appears to have been a 
bounty, tumults in various parts of the kingdom took 
place, and at Leeds a detachment of the king's troops 
were obliged to fire on the rioters, eight or nine of whom 

were killed. July. At the Northampton assizes, Mary 

Fasson was condemned to be burnt for poisoning her 
husband; and Elizabeth Wilson to be hanged for picking 
a farmer's pocket of 30s. 

1736. It was resolved by parliament, " that those per- 
sons whose freeholds lie within that part of the city of 
York, called Ainst}', have a right to vote for knights of the 

shire" This year Francis Drake published his 

"Eboracum, or the history and antiquities of York, from 
its origin to the present time." 

1739. Lady Elizabeth Hastings, of pious and benevolent 
memory, died December 22nd, at Ledston. In 1721 she 
gave £1000 towards building Trinity church, in Leeds. 
This excellent lady bequeathed at her death considerable 
sums for charitable and public uses; amongst which were 
five scholarships in Queen's college, Oxford, for students 
in divinit}^ of £2S a year each, to be enjoyed for five years, 
and, as the rents should rise, some of her scholars to be 
capable, in time, of having £60 per annum, for one or two 
years after the first term. The Free Grammar School, at 
Leeds, is entitled to send one poor scholars to be nom- 
inated, in common with the following similar establish- 
ments, viz., "Wakefield, Bradford, Beverley, Skipton, Sed- 
berg. Ripon, and Sherburn, in Yorkshire; Appleby and 
Haversham, in Westmoreland ; and St. Bees and Penrith, 
in Cumberland. A stately monument in Ledsham church, 
afterwards augmented with the statues of her two amiable 
sisters, records in elegant Latin the character of this orna- 
ment of her sex. Her own figure is placed on a sarco- 
phagus reclining, and reading a book ol devotion, and the 
countenance, which is a portrait, is handsome and spirited. 
Lady Frances and lady Ann Hastings are placed on ped- 
estals at the sides, and are represented with the emblems 
of piety and prudence. 

Nicholas Saunderson, LL.D., who was born in the year 
16S2, at Thurston, near Penistone, died this year, and was 
buried in the chancel at Boxworth. When only twelve 



124 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1739. 

mouths old, he lost not only his sight, but liis eyes, which 
came away by abscess, occasioned by the small pox, so 
that he retained no more idea of colours or light than if he 
had been born blind; yet he became mathematical pro- 
fessor in Cambridge university, and a fellow of the royal 
society. He frequently delivered lectures on optics, ex- 
plaining the theory of vision, the nature of light and 
colours, the effects of glasses, the phenomenon of the rain- 
bow, 6lc. Such was the strength of his memory, and the 
acuteness of his perception, that whatever was read to 
him, or explained, though the subject was ever so abstruse, 
he soon became master of it. Having been at several 
celebrated schools, and obtained a familiar knowledge of 
mathematics, logic, and metaphysics, he went^ to Cam- 
bridge not as a scholar but a master. Being introduced 
at Christ college by his friend Mr. Dunn, a commoner 
there, the ''fellows" were so much pleased with his 
extraordinary genius, that they allotted him a chamber, 
and granted him the use of their library, and every other 
privilege of the college, where his lectures were first 
read by Professor Whiston, on Avhose removal he was 
made Master of Arts and chosen Lucasian Professor of 
Blathematics in 1711. He made an excellent inaugura- 
tion speech in elegant latio, being well versed in Tully, 
Virgil, and Horace. He was created LL.D. by George 
IT., in the senate-house of the university, and continued 
to rise in learning and fame till his death, in the 57th 
year of his age. 

Richard Turp-in, the notorious highwayman, was hanged 
at York, in April, 1739, and on the following morning 
his body was interred in St. George's church yard ; but 
on Tuesday morning, about three o'clock, it was taken 
up by "resurrection men," and secreted in a garden, 
where it was found by a mob of citizens and the 
mourners of the deceased, "who carried it otf in triumph 
through the city^, and having replaced it in the coffin, 
covered it with unslacked lime, so as to render it unfit 
for the dissecting room, and then filled up the grave. 
This daring thief frequently levied contributions as near 
London as the back of Islington, and in a few hours 
after was robbing in a dis^tant county, and by his 
equestrian agility, he long evaded the strong hand of 

justice. A bill passed, prohibiting the exportation 

of wool and corn. In digging a cellar, near Ouse 

bridge, on the Avest side of York, a gold coin of Con- 
stantiiis Junia was found. The head was armed with 



THE SURUOU^'DING DISTRICT. 125 

1739. 

a helmet, and the figure held a spear in one hand; on 
the reverse side, a priest and priestess seated. 

The following- curious memorandums are copied from 
the register of the Leeds parish church : — 

"I735. June. 31 r. John Burton, a merchant in this town, whose 
uncle, one of the Tellers of the Exchequer, made him hi.< executor to 
a fortune of 90,000 pounds — married Mrs. Sarah Reveler, of this 
town, whose fortune he gave to her sister, Mrs. Rachel Reveley." 

" N.B. Sir Miles Stapylton, of Myton, bart, being chosen county 
member of parliament in the late election, had more votes of both 
clergy and laity out of this parish than out of any one parish in the 
county." 

" June 3rd. Burial. Israel Benjamin, Yicar-lane; he was born of 
Jewish parentage, at Breslaw, in Germany, became a Christian, and 
was baptized at Dublin, in Ireland, in the 45th year of his age." 

"I737. Aug. 28th. Burial. Richard Turner, a taylor, Kirkgate, 
this used to preach extempory in the church porch." 

" 1739. Jan. A sheep was roasted whole upon the ice in the river. 
Feb. 22nd. The frost broke when the ice in the river was 15 inches 
thick ia some places. Nov. War declared against Spain." 

" 1740. jVIay 5th. On the 5th of this month was a great snow. 
Dec. A great scarcity of provisions : ha,y sold in some places at 18d. 
a stone; butter, 9d. a pound; malt, 40s a quarter; wheat, 24s. a 
load." 

"■ 1741. Aug. The most plentiful corn harvest ever known." 

'' 1743. Jan. A comet appeared very fair for about six weeks, v/hioh 
caused various speculations : — 

"If comets portend dismal Fates, 

"When visible to divers States ; 

Now Ydrious nations disagree, 

"What strange confusions must there be.^ 

"When the British Lyons begin to roar, 

Then France and Spain shall dread their power ; 

Then all conventions soon .shall cease. 

And Britons win a lasting peace." 

This comet was one of the finest bodies Avhich had 
occurred since 16S0. It had as many as six tails ; each 
4 degrees in breadth, and 30 to 44 degrees in length. 

"I743. July 25th. Burial. "William Cookson, Esquire and Alder- 
man N.B. — He was thrice mayor of this corporation of which he was 
the greatest ornament. — His vertues shined with an amiable lustre, thro' 
the various scene.s of life. He was a piou.s christian, a generous bene- 
factor, an honest tradesman, a tender husband, an indulgent parent, a 
sincere friend, and a complete gentleman. Sept. The most plentiful 
harvest that ever was known." 

" 1744. April 10th. "War declared against France." 

"1745. July, the last day, Charles, the eldest son of Ciiivalier de 
St. George landed in Scotland, and was soon joined with about 6 or 



126 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1739-1740. 

TbOO men, who came into England as far as Derby, bnt upon the ad 

vanee of the king's army, tliey marched back into Scotland." 

'' Dec. For two nights, about 13,000 of the king's foot, (with 20 
pieces of brass cannon), encamped in the closes on the west side of 
Shipscar-lane, English, Dutch, and Swiss. Rebellion is a plague: 
when broke out, it has no bounds ; fury triumphs, and the Devil the 
postillion, and knows how and when to throw his charioteer into a 
saare " 

" 1747. April 23rd. Lodged that night in the Moot Hall 68 Jacobite 
eaptives : 61 men and 7 women, in they'r passage from York (where 
they had been imprisoned about twelve months) to Liverpool, to be 
transported." 

"May 16th. His Grace Archbishop Herring confirmed about 5000 
y )Uiig persons." 

'• 1748. Sept. Mr. Moses Vanderbank painted the Ascension in 
thf) church." 

"I749. On the sixth of February, and the sixth of March, the 
ciiizens of London were surprized by two earthquakes." 

1739. In the year 1443 there were in Halifax but 13 
houses; in 1558 there were 140; and in 1739 there were 
above 1100 families in the town. The name of Hall fay, if 
■we are to believe Cambden, cannot boast of any great an- 
tiquity. He says, (in his Britannia London edit. 15S7.) " that 
not many ages since it was called Horton, as the natives 
say, and tell this story for the change of the name. A 
certain clergyman, being passionately in love with a young 
woman, when he cou'd by no means gain his point, cut off 
her head in a mad fit, which was afterwards hung up in a 
yew-tree, and esteem'd and visited by the people as holy, 
so that every one pluck'd a bough off, to keep as a relick. 
By this means, the tree grew a mere trunk, but still the 
fictions of the priests kept up the opinion of its honour 
and sanctity : for they made the people believe that the 
little veins, which, like hairs or threads, were spread 
between the bark and the tree, were the very hairs of the 
young woman. This caus'd such a great resort of pUgrims 
to it, that from the little village of Horton it became a 
large town, and assum'd the name of Halifax, i e., holy 
hair, for fax is us'd by the English on the north side of 
Trent to signify hair ; and hence the noble family of Fair- 
/f^ in Yorkshire, is so called from their fair hair." 

1740. At this period, two very curious Roman urns were 
dug up near the Mount, without Micklegate bar, York; 
one of glass was broken by accident, and found to be 
coated inside similar to a looking glass, with a blueish sil- 
ver colour; the other was of lead, and was sold by the 
workmen to a plumber, who beat it together and melted 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 127 

1740 -1743. 

it down. JVm. Sheephanks was born iMarcii Iblh this 

year, in the village of Linton, Cravxn, and wa.s educated 
at the grammar school of the parish. In 1771-2 he served 
the office of moderator at the university ; in 1777 he re- 
moved to Leeds, and in the same year, by the active friend- 
ship of Dr. John Law, he was presented to the living of 
Sebergham, in Cumberland. In 17S3 he Avas appointed to 
the cure of St. John's church, Leeds ; in 1792 he was col- 
lated to a prebend in Lincoln cathedral, wliich he ex- 
changed in 1794 for a much more valuable stall at Carlisle. 
He died at Leeds, July 26th, 1810, and was interred at St. 
John's. 

Sir ]Miles Stapylton and lord viscount Morpeth were re- 
turned for Yorkshire without opposition. In consequence 
of the death of lord Morpeth, a contested election took 
place in December, 1741. The poll was open eight days, 
and the result was as follows : — 

ClwlmUy Turner, 8,003. 

George Fox, 6,940. 

1741. An old granary, formerly belonging to Kirkstall 
abbey, was this year taken down. It was covered with 
slate, brought 500 years? before from Elland, near Halifax, 

wiiich was almost as hard as steel. In an enclosure 

adjoining to Blackhill, near Cookridge, was found an urn, 
containing about 500 Homan coins, all copper, and mostly 
of Constantius and Constantine his son. It is supposed 
they were buried there when the Eomans left the island. 

1742. July 14th, died, aged SO years, Bichard Bsntley, a 
native of Oulton, who received his education at Waketield 
free grammar school. He was master of the Greek, Latin, 
Hebrew, Syriac, and Chaldee languages. In IG89 he was 
patronized by the bishop of Yf orcester, and soon after 
began to favour the world with the fruits of his extra- 
ordinary erudition. In 1692 he was installed a prebend of 
Worcester, by bishop Stillingfleer, and in little more than 
a year after he was made keeper of the Royal library, at 
St. James's. In 1700, he was advanced by the crown to 
the mastership of Trinity college, Cambridge. In 1701 he 
was made archdeacon of Ely, and in 1716 or 1717 he was 
raised to the dignity of Regius Professor of Divinity at 
Cambridge; which chair he filled with great honor and 
most splended talents, though not to the satisfaction of 
the envious. 

The Bev John Wesley arrived May 28th at Birstal, (the 
first place where he stayed in this county), and preached 



128 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1742.-1743. 

"at uooii on the top of Birstal hill, to several hundreds of 
plain people." At eight he preached on the side of Dews- 
bury moor ; went to Newcastle, and returning came to 
Bees ton. June ^Jrd, he preached at Mirfield, the same 
evening at Adwalton, and the 8th of April following, at 
Leeds. 

Mr. Wesley informs us ia his journal, "May 29th, 1743, 
that, not a year before, he had come to Leeds, and found 
no man cared for the things of God : 'but,' lie observes, 'a 
sparJ^ has nov/ fallen in this place also, aud it will kindle 
a great flame. I met the infant society, about fifty in 
number, most of them justrlied, and exhorted them to 
walk circumspectly. At seven o'clock, I stood before Mr. 
Shent's door, and cried to thousands, '■Ho ! every one that 
thirsteth, come ye to the ivaters ! ' The word took place. 
They gave diligent heed to it, and seemed a people pre- 
pared tor the Lord. I went to the great church, (parish 
church), and was shewed to the minister's pew. Five 
clergymen were there, who a little confounded me, by 
making me take place of my elders and betters. They 
obliged me to help in administering th;^ sacrament. I 
assisted with eight more ministers, for v/hom my soul was 
much drawn out in prayer. But I dreaded their favour, 
more than the stones at Sheffield." 

The following copy of a letter addressed by this cele- 
brated man to his brother at Leeds, is curious : — 

"London, Dec. 9th, 1/58. 
" My dear brother, — From time to time 1 have had more trouble 
with the town of Leeds than with all the societies in Yorkshire. And 
I now hear that the leaders insist that such and such persons be put 
out of the society ! I desire the leaders may know their places, and 
not stretch themselves bej^ond their line. Pray let me judge wrho 
should be put out of a Methodist society, and who should not. I 
desire Faith and Ann Hard wick may not be put of the society, unless 
some matter appear against them ; and if any new matter does appear, 
let it be laid before me. He shall have judgm.ent without mercy who 
hath shewn no mercy," 

" I am your affectionate Brother, 

"J. Wesley." 
1743. March 7th. At Huddersfield, the foundations of a 
Roman temple were found, with many beautifully orna- 
mented bricks, and an altar, having a patera at the summit, 
on one side a cornucopia, and an augural staff on the other. 
The edifice had been dedicated to the goddess Fortune, by 
one Antonius Modestus, or Modestinus, of the sixth con- 
quering legion. 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 129 

1744.-1745. 

1744. This year, Eugene Aram, a schoolmaster, residing 
at Knaresborough, murdered a shoemaker named Daniel 
Clark, and concealed his bod}' in St. Robert's c:ive. The 
foul deed remained enveloped in mystery till fourteen 
years afterwards, when the skeleton of the murdered man 
was discovered. An accomplice named Houseman, being- 
apprehended and examined, confessed his participation in 
the crime, adding however, that Aram perpetrated the 
deed. Aram was forthwith arrested at a grammar school, 
at Lynn, in Norfolk, and being brought into Yorkshire, he 
was tried and found guilty of the offence, notwithstanding 
au ingenious defence more remarkable for subtlety of 
argument than for force of reasoning. Sentence of death 
followed immediately on conviction. In the interval 
between the trial and execution, Aram wrote a paper 
claiming a right to dispose of his ovv^n life. This privilege 
he exercised ; and when on the morning of the execution 
he was roused from his bed to be conducted to the gallows, 
it was found that he had inflicted upon his arm two such 
desperate wounds with a razor, that the performance of 
the executioner was scarcely necessary to terminate a 
life that Vv^as fast ebbing out at his veins. He vv^as exe- 
cuted at Tj'burn, a mile from York, and his body was con- 
veyed to Knaresbro' forest, where he was hung in chains. 

1745. In this year, a carpenter discovered in a field near 
the top of Briggate, in Leeds, at the depth of about two 
feet, an urn, containing ashes, calcined bone.?, and a stone 
axe perforated for a shaft. It was of rude formation, im- 
perfectly baked, and ornamented after the usual manner of 
the Britons, with encircling rows of indentatiors : it 
measured about twelve inches in height, and was placed 
with its mouth upwards, having a cover, which was 
broken by the workmen. These relics are unfortunately 
lost. 

The rebellion of this year, when the kingdom was 
invaded b}'- prince Charles Edward, eldest son of the pre- 
tender, thre^v the town of Leeds into great r.larm, and 
many of the inhabitants fled and others concealed their 
most valuable effects. Marshal Wade's arm}-- was en- 
camped at this period between Leeds, Sheepscar, and 
Woodhouse, (about Wade-lane, Camp road. Sec.) General 
Wade, is said to have quartered during the encampment 
in Wade hall — an old stone building of the Elizabethan 
stylo of architecture, -situate opposite the top of Merrion- 
street, in Wade-lane. This was the last encampment 
which in time of actual war on English ground has 



130 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 
1745.-1746. 

taken place in this island. The alarm fortunately proved 
groundless, the march of the Pretender's army being- 
directed towards Derby by way of Manchester. At this 
momentuous crisis, the whole county of York gave the 
most unequivocal proofs of loyalty to the reigning 
dynasty, and attachment to the reformed religion. The 
archbishop, the nobility, gentry, and clergy, formed a 
military association, and, having subscribed about £34,000, 

raised several regiments of soldiers. Gexeral Guest, 

who commanded the king's troops at Edinburgh, during 
the rebellion, was a native of Leeds, and the son of a 
cloth-dresser, a business at which he himself laboured 
in the early part of his life. His judicious defence of 
Edinburgh castle contributed to retard, in a very con- 
siderable degree, the progress of the arms of Stuart, and 
thereby rendered a very essential service to his country. 
1746. August 18th. Lords Kilmarnock and Balmerino 
were beheaded on Tower-hill, for their participation in 
the ])roject for the restoration of the house of Stuart to 
the throne of Great Britain ; and on the 7th of April, in 
the next year, Simon, lord Lovat suffered at the same 
place, when twenty persons were killed, and many others 

injured by the falling of a scaffold. The duke of 

Cumberland visited York, after the defeat of the rebels 
at Culloden, where the hopes of the house of Stuart 
were annihilated. The citizens had previously raised a 
subscription, amounting to £2,345, with which four com- 
panies of men, called the York Blues, were embodied for 
the safeguard of the city during the rebellion. Twenty- 
two of the rebels were executed at York, and two of 
their heads placed on Micklegate bar. 

In the winter of this year, the dormitory of Kirkstall 

abbey fell down. -After the death of the Uev. Joseph 

Cookson, vicar of Leeds, a contest and litigation of six 
years ensued, owing to one of the twenty-five trustees 
nominated under a decree of lord Bacon having died, 
and the remaining twenty-four divided their votes 
equally between two candidates, viz. James Scott, M.A. 
and Richard Kirshaw, M.A. Thus the matter rested till 
one of the twenty-four died, and the twelve friends of 
Mr. Scott strove to enforce his election, which the other 
eleven trustees rejected, and demanded a popular election. 
Mr. Kirshaw was chosen by the major part of the parish- 
ioners. Several bills were now filed in Chancery, where 
at length it was ordered that the trustees should fill up 
their number to twenty-five, which was done, and Mr. 
Kershaw was re-elected, and inducted in 1751. 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 131 

]746.-l748. 

lu this year the grass withered in the fields, leaves fell 
prematurely from the trees, and neither rain nor dew fell 
for several months. Prayers were offered up in the 
churches, to implore the bounty of refreshing- showers. 

1747. This year the cell of the noted hermit, Wm. of Lind- 
holme, was remaining on Hatfield Chase, near Thorne,also 
his well of clear spring water was to be seen; at the east 
end of the cell stood an altar of hewn stone, and at the 
west end was the hermit's grave, covered with a free 
stone slab, eight inches thick. Under it were found the 
skull, leg, and thigh bones, and a small piece of beaten 

copper. Oct. 10. Died, aged 73, the Rev. John Potter, 

a native of Wakefield, and the son of Mr. Thomas Potter, 
linen draper. At the age of 19, he published a critical 
^vork, which attracted the attention of men of learning, 
and soon afterwards wrote the antiquities of Greece, 
which gained him much celebrity. In 1704, he was 
chaplain to archbishop Tenison ; and in 1706 chaplain to 
the queen. In 1715, he was bishop of Oxford, and in 1736 
archbishop of Canterbury. In each of these stations he 
published works of great utilit}^ : he was the highest dig- 
nitary in the church for ten years. Sir Miles Slapylton 

and Sir Conyers D'Arcy were elected representatives for 
Yorkshire without opposition. 

174s. The following has been copied from a mantiscript 
written at the time of the occurrence: — "1748. March. 
Thos. Grave was most barborously murdered in his own 
house by a domineering villanous lord of the manor, .Josiah 
Fearne, 2-l:tli Feb., 174S, with four wounds in his body of 
which he died 2ud Mar. Fearne was taken and com- 
mitted to York castle, and tryed before Sir Thos. Burnett, 
was committed and hanged 25ih March, 1749. Soon after 
Fearne was condemned, he sent an attorney to Mrs. 
CTrave to offer her twenty pounds a year for her life, or 
for twenty 3^ears to come, at her own option, in case she 
wou'd sign a petition to the judge in his favour, (which 
Fearne said, vv^as a sufficient recompense for the injury he 
had done to her and her eight children) but she prudently 
declin'd the offer, well knowing there is no satisfaction to 
be made for the blood of a murderer. This probably is the 
first lord of the manor of Leeds that made his exit on the 
gallows, and God grant that he maybe the last. Fearne's 
temper was extremely rigid to the poor and his dependents, 
that he was dreaded by all and beloved by none. ITe was 

buried at Clifton, near York, 31st March." Sir 

Henry Ibbetson, of the Pied Hall, Leeds, as a reward for 



132 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1748. -1753. 

his lo3^-iit3^ r/as created a baronet, and had, as an honour- 
able addition to his armorial bearings, the Golden Fleece, 
the arms of his native town of Leeds, ingrafted on his 
paternal coat. 

1740. In tliis year the Leeds corporation purchased a 
pew in Trinity church, for the sum of £24. In 1793 a large 
})ew in St. Paul's church was purchased at a cost of £147. 
In 1801 a pew was purchased in St. James's church, at a 
cost of £29. Ss. The corporate body subsequently appear 
to have had pews in St. Mary's church, Quarry -hill ; 
Christ's chiircii, Meadow-lane; and St. Mark's church, 
Woodhouse. 

1750. The Wesleyan Methodists obtained a lease for 
ninety- nine years of an old house and piece of land, on 

which they erected their first chapel in Leeds. Lord 

Viscount Dov/ne was elected for Yorkshire in the place of 
Sir M. Stap3^1ton, v/ho was appointed one of his majesty's 
commissioners of the customs. 

1751. Mrs. Catherine Parker, of Leeds, left by will, dated 
September 3rd, th s year, the sum of £J00, for the benefit 
of the poor inhabitants of Harrison's hospital, in Leeds. 

In this year there was an act passed (24 Geo. 11.) for 
making- the calendar in England correspond with that used 
in other countries of Euro])e, It was enacted that eleven 
days should be omitted after the 2nd of September, 1752, 
so that the ensuing day should be the 14th; and in order 
to counteract a certain minute overplus of time, that the 
years, ISOO, 1900, 2100, 2200, 2300, or any other hundredth 
year which shall happen in time to come, shall not be con- 
sidered as leap years: except only every fourth hun- 
dredth year, whereof the year 2000 shall be the first. 

Christmas day was the ecclesiastical beginning of the 
year, till pope Gregory XIII., in 1552, ordered it to begin 
on the 1st of January. In France and England, the same 
practice commenced about the same time ; but in the 
latter country, it was not till 1752 that legal writs and in- 
struments ceased to consider the 25th of March as the be- 
ginning of the year ; hence, ivhen it was necessary to express 
a date between the 1st of January, which was the com- 
mencement of the historical year, and the 25th of March, 
which opened the legal one, error and confusion were 
sure to occur, unless it were given in the following 
awkward fashion : 1648-'9. 

1753. In June, a serious riot took place at Leeds, in con- 
sequence of an attempt being made to improve the public 
roads, and several turnpike bars were demolished. Some 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 133 

1753.-1754. 

persons were wounded, in an attempt to demolish the 
turnpike house at Hare wood bridge, which was defended 
by Edwin Lascelles, Esq., with a number of his tenants and 
workmen. On the following Saturday, a carter refusing' 
to pay the toll at Beeston turnpike, was seized by the 
soldiery, but rescued by the populace, before he could be 
conveyed before the trustees of the turnpike, at the 
King's Arms Inn, in Briggate. The mob assembled again 
in the evening, for- the purpose of rescuing three other 
prisoners, apprehended the night before, and proceeded to 
break the windows and shutters of the King's Arms, and 
to tear up the stones of the pavement, to throw at the 
soldiers. Having alread}- knocked down the sentinel, the 
military received orders to fire, which they did, first with 
powder, and on this producing no intimidation, with ball, 
by which two or three persons were killed, and twenty- two 

wounded. On the 5th of November, this year, the 

Leeds corporation ordered one hundred guineas to be paid 
towards obtaining an act of parliament for " erecting a 
court of conscience, for the recovery of small debts 
within the borough of Leeds, and for making a common 
sewer, and for paving, cleansing, and enlightening the said 
town of Leeds." The British Museum Avas estab- 
lished this year. George IV. gave his father's library to 

it in 1S27 The corporation of Leeds chose Mr. 

Barstow to be town clerk, but the king ordered Mr. 
Atkinson to have the place, then worth £200 a year. 

1754. The "Leedes Intelligencer" was commenced on 
Tuesday, July 2nd, this year. The office at that time was 
in Lowerhead-row. It has thus had an uninterrupted 
existence of more than 105 years. For several years it 
was published on Tuesday ; afterwards the publication 
day was changed to Monday ; then to Thursday ; and, 
lastly, to Saturday. Its original proprietor was Mr. 
Griffith Wright, who v/as succeeded by his son, Mr. Thomas 
Wright, and he again by the late Mr. Grifnth Wright, the 
grandson of the first-named gentleman. After existing in 
the family of its founder for nearly 65 years, the Intelli- 
gencer was transferred to other hands at the close of 1818, 
and its proprietorship passed through various hands, till it 
solely came into those of Mr. Kemplay, in April, 1849. 

Count Zinzendorf, who had afforded an asylum on one 
of his estates in Germany to a company of persecuted 
descendants from the ancient Moravian church, visited 
Pudsey, in the township of which some persons, both 
natives of Britain and foreigners, who had formed a con- 

12 



134 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1754. 

nexion with that church, were building a settlement, 
which they called Grace Hall, or Lamb's Hall, but which 
soon after received the name of Fulneck. It was com- 
pleted in 175s, and was intended for a centre of evan- 
gelical usefulness, a temporary residence for the mis- 
sionaries on their way from Germany to heathen countries, 
and a place for educational institutions. The principal 
buildings are erected in a line on the side of a 
rather steep hill facing the south, and consists of the 
chapel — a neat stonestructure, with the minister's dwelling 
and ladies' school attached; the boy's school ; and houses 
for single men, single women, and widows. In front of 
these is a terrace, upwards of one- eighth of a mile in 
length, bordered by gardens, and commanding a very 
beautiful view of a richly wooded valley, on the opposite 
side of which lie the hall and grounds of the Tong estate. 
The chapel, handsomely built in the Italian style, accom- 
modates about 600, and has a very good organ. The 
burial-ground, often inspected by strangers, is remarkable 
for its pleasant situation, and the symmetry and plainness 
observed in it, nothing being allowed to mark each grave 
but a small head-stone. In the schools, the children of 
the Moravian ministers are educated, forming, however, 
the smaller portion of the total boarders. The boys num- 
ber in general about 60, and the 3'^oung ladies about 50. 
There are besides, separate and flourishing day-schools. 
In the sister's house the well-known beautifully executed 
Moravian needlework is made. The settlement contains 
also a comfortable board and lodging-house, where con- 
veyances may be had on hire. The White Chapel, in 

Hunslet-lane, Leeds, was built this year. The Rev. J. 
Edwards, the first minister, was succeeded by the Rev. 
Edward Parsons, who was afterwards appointed to Salem 

chapel, of which he was long the pastor. After much 

opposition, the Rev. Mr. Fawcett, on the fourth attempt, 
succeeded in reading prayers at the chapel at Holbeck, 
guarded by a party of dragoons. The Rev. gentleman 

subsequently resigned the curacy. The commissioners 

of charitable uses advertised at Leeds July 9th. to receive 

complaints of breaches of trust, &c. Elias Patefield, 

of Northowram, aged 100, and his wife, aged 99, died 
nearly at the same time : they had been married 60 years. 

He first departed, she for one hour tried 
To live without him ; lik*d it not and died. 
April 19th, about 11 at night, the shock of nn earthquake, 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 135 

1/54. 

or a great explosion in the air, was felt at York and teu. 
miles round. At Whitby, Hull, and several parts on the 
sea-coast, the same trembling was sensibly experienced 
by the astonished inhabitants, during a few seconds of 
time. 

Scatchard says, that "in the early, and even middle 
part of this century, in the neighbourhood of Batley, 
and such hilly grounds, manure was carried into the 
fields by what were called "Hotts," square boxes 
or crates, which hung like panniers over the backs of 
the horses, and which were, generally, managed by 
women. They had opening doors in the underside, 
through which the tillage was discharged upon the land; 
and while one box or pannier was emptying, the other 
M'as borne up by an assistant, or else by, what we call 
in Yorkshire, "a Buck." This account I received from 
very respectable old people at Batley, and I have since 
met with an article in Brocket's glossary, which corro- 
borates it by shewing that such usage prevailed in other 
parts. "I have heard old people say," writes Mr. 
Brocket, " that between the confines of Yorkshire and 
Westm-oreland, it was common for the men to employ 
themselves in knitting, while the women were engaged 
in the servile employments of carrying these "Hotts" 
npon their backs." It has been remarked to me that 
Hott is Hod, but I would prefer deducing it from the 
French word Hotte, signifying a scuttle, dosser, or bas- 
ket, to carry on the back. The same writer says, there 
were a description of travellers, formerly very numerous 
in these parts, which deserve notice here, viz. : — ihe "Bell 
Horses." I have a faint recollection of them passing 
through Morley twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays 
as I am told. They were called pack liorses, from 
carrying large packs of cloth, &c , on their backs. These 
bell horses and their drivers were the chief conveyances 
during the middle ages, and down to the times of the 
great civil war. By means of them, not only various 
goods, but letters, and even young Oxford and Cam- 
bridge students, were passed from various parts of the 
kingdom. "We have an interesting account of them in 
the 25th volume of the Archeeologia, just come out. 
"Imedyatly after that comunycacion (says tiie writer), 
we mete one Stephen Amore, a man of Nottyngh'en 
comyn from Stamfford, dryving horses lodden with cloth 
before him," &c. Stephen, it appears, had been at Bury, 
(probably Bury in Lancashire, or Bury St. Edmonds, in 



136 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 
I754..1755. 

Suifolk), and like all his brother carriers, was a famous 
newsmonger and politician. 

" When I saw the bell horses at Morley, passing on 
to Dewsbury and Thornhill, the first horse only wore a 
bell. The roads were then narrow and rugged, with 
deep ruts, and the causeways, generally, were single 
and uneven. The bell horses always kept this foot path, 
and forced therefrom travellers of every description, so 
that on dark nights, and especially in the winter time, 
the bell of the proud leader was a most useful ap- 
pendage. These roadsters ceased to travel, sometime, 
as I fancy, about 1794, but I cannot ascertain the pre- 
cise date." Sir Conyers D'Arcy and Lord Viscount 

Downe were returned as members for Yorkshire without 
opposition. 

1755. In this year the act of parliament of the 28th 
Geo. II., cap. 41, was passed, entitled *' an act for en- 
lightening the streets and lanes, and regulating the pave- 
ment in the town of Leeds." The preamble of this act 
is as follows : — " Whereas the town of Leeds, in the 
county of York, is a place of great trade and large ex- 
tent, consisting of many streets, narrow lanes and alleys, 
inhabited by great numbers of tradesmen, manufacturers, 
artificers, and others, who, in the prosecution of and 
carrying on their respective trades and manufactures, are 
obliged to pass and repass through the same as Avell in 
the night as in the day time : and Avhereas several 
burglaries, robberies, and other outrages and disorders 
have lately been committed, and many more attempted 
within the said town, &c., and the enlightening the said 
streets and lanes, and regulating the pavements thereof 
would be of great advantage, and tend not only to the 
security and preservation of the person and properties of 
the inhabitants of the said tow^n, but to the benefit and 
convenience of strangers and persons resorting to the 
several markets within the said town, &c." The first 
streets Avhich were lighted under this act were Cross- 
parish and New-street — so called because it was the 
first place in Leeds upon which the word street A\'as im- 
posed. The system of lighting was by means of oil 
lamps, which were used for 28 years after, when a gas 
company Avas incorporated by act of parliament. 

When the Weslej^an Conference was held at Leeds, 
May 6th, 1755, the question was agitated, whether the 
Methodists were to retain their connexion with the es- 
tablishment, or finally to secede from it ? Upon this 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 137 

1755. 

occasion 3Ir. "Wesley says, " The point on which we 
desired all the preachers to speak their minds at large, 
was, Wli-cth^r ive ought to separate from the Church f 
Whatever was advanced on one side or the other, was 
seriously and calmly considered ; and on the third day 
we were all fully agreed in that general conclusion, 
That whether it was lawful or not, it was no ways ex- 
pedient." — In a multitude of counsellors there is safety. 

Henry Hanson, Esq., in 1755, left, for the benefit of 
the poor ot Moortowu and Chapeltov.n, ,£100, the interest 
to be distributed in bread, the first Sunday in every 
month. John Gledhill, Esq., in 1806, left to the poor of 
Chapel- Allerton £100, the interest to be distributed in 
bread. YVade Brown, Esq., of Ludlow, in Shropshire, 
left, by will, in 1821, to the minister and chapelwarden 
for the time being, to the poor of this chapelry. £100, 
being a share in the Leeds water-works, the interest to 
be distributed in coals, yearly, at Christmas, by the 
minister and chapehvarden. The folio ^\ in g bequests are 
for the benefit of the Sunday school: — £100 left by Mrs. 
Bywater, and in the hands of Wade BroAvn, Esq.; o£10 
left by Luke Priestly, Esq., in the hands of his widow ; 
and £50 left by John Gledhill, Esq., and in the hands of 
James Brown, Esq. Interest is paid upon each donation 
at the rate of five per cent, per annum ; and the amount 
is applied to\vards the support of a Sunday school at 

Chapel- Allerton. Allerton Hall was upvv'^ards of four i^' 

centuries the property and residence of the Kitchingman 
family. It was the largest and most ancient mansion in 
Chapeltown, consisting of about sixty rooms, with gar- 
dens and pleasure grounds. It was sold a])Out this year 
b}- James Kitchingman, Esq., to Josiah Gates, Esq., 
merchant of Leeds. The Kitchingman family, for upwards 
of 400 years, were carried from this hall by torch light, 
to be interred in the choir of Sr. Peter's church, in 
Leeds ; at the interment of any of the family, the great 
chandelier, consisting of 36 branches, was always lighted. 
In the year 1716, Mr. Robert Kitchingman died, May 7th, 
aged 100 years. He ordered his body to be buried with 
torch lights, at Chapel- Allerton ; he v.-as interred on the 
16th May, when 100 torches were carried ; the room 
where the body was laid was hung with black, and a 
velvet pall, with escutcheons, was borne by the chief 
gentry ; the pall bearers had all scarves, biscuitrs, and 
Back; the v. hole company had gloves. Fifty pounds was 
given among the poor, in the chapel yard, on the day of 



138 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

his interment. Mary, his wife, died July 28th, 1716, 
aged 97 years. She was interred precisely in the same 
way. She Avas daughter of Alexander Robinson, merchant, 
of Leeds, and Grace, his wife, sister of the illustrious 
Harrison. Part of the house where Mr. Rt. Kitchingman 
lived is yet standing, although the greatest part of it was 
taken down about the year 1730. When Sir Thomas Fair- 
fax took Leeds, Henry Robinson, vicar of Leeds, nnd 
brother of Mary Kitchingman, fled to this house, after 
having narrowly escaped with his life, in crossing the Aire, 
below St. Peter's church. He afterwards made his escape 
to Methley Hall. Tradition says, that king Charles I. was 
concealed at this house before he went to Leeds. Mr. 
Harrison, the benefactor, spent the summer of 1645 here, 

when the plague raged in Leeds. The estate of the 

Sunderlands, in Chapel-Allerton, was left by Samuel Sun- 
derland, Esq., of Harding Hall, in the year 1676, to his 
nephew, Robert Parker,Esq., of Marlow Hall, at Brows- 
holme, who erected and endowed ten alms-houses at "Wad- 
dington, in Craven. The estate was sold in allotments, by 
John (or Robert) Parker, about the year 1788. 

A curious circumstance which occurred in the family of 
the Sunderlands, is as follows : — 

" Samuel Sunderland, Esq., who flourished in the reign of Charie.9 
I. and in the Commonwealth, resided at Arthing Hall, not far from 
Bingler. He was one of the richest men of his age, and had accu- 
mulated an immense quantity of gold coin, which he preserved in bags 
placed on two shelves in a private part of his house. Two individuals 
who resided at Collingham, and who were in circumstances above want, 
though not above temptation, determined to rob Mr. Sunderland of 
the whole, or at any rate of a considerable quantity, of his gold ; and 
in order to prevent the chance of successful pursuit, they persuaded a 
blacksmith at Collingham to put shoes on their horses' feet backwards 
way. They arrived at Arthing Hall according to their purpose ; took 
away as much gold in bags as they could carry off, and notwithstanding 
the communication of an alarm to the family before they left the 
house, succeeded in accomplishing thpir retreat. The weight of the 
gold they took away was too heavy for their jaded horses, and they 
were compelled to leave part of it on Blackmoor, where it was after- 
wards found by some persons of Chapeltown. It so happened, that the 
robbers had taken a dog with them on their expedition, and this animal, 
in the hurry of their retreat, they left behind them, fastened up in the 
place from which they had taken the gold. The friends and neigh- 
bours of Mr. Sunderland, who had determined upon pursuit, imme- 
diately saw in this dog the means of detecting the offenders. Having 
broken one of its legs, to prevent its running too fast for their horses, 
they turned it loose ; it proceeded, notwithstanding its excruciating 
pain, to Collingham, and went directly to the house of its owners. The 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 139 

1755.- 1^56. 

pmsuers arrived, burst open the door, and found the thieves in the very 
act of counting the l■.;one3^ They were sent to York, tried, condemned 
to die, and their own apprentice was compelled to act the part of their 
executioner. This young man, though innocent of any capital partici- 
pation in the robbery, wa^; so Jiorror- struck by the deed he had been 
compelled to perform, that he criminated himself, and followed the 
fate of his masters. 

Assize of Bread established in Leeds, May 27th, by John 
Brooke, Esq., mayor, when the penny horse loaf weighed 
21bs. loz. lldr., and the threepenny maslia lo'af 4lbs. 5oz. 
8dr. In this and the previous year a distemper very fatal 
to cattle raged to an alarming extent, in and about Leeds. 

A special sessions ordered the inhabitants of Briggate, 
in Leeds, to repair the pavement fronting their respective 

houses, shops, &c. At a court held in Leeds, on the 

10th of October. 1755, it was agreed " That the town clerk 
do dine as usual with the mayor." 

175G. Richard Wilson, Esq., sold part of " the Parks " to 

the clothiers for ,£400. A public brewhouse was built 

this year, in Meadow-lane, wherein was brewed about 50 

quarters of malt weekly. In May, in this year, in the 

false loft of an ancient house, used as a chapel, at the bot- 
tom of Northgate, in "Wakefield, a number of statues were 
found by a workman. The3'^Avere admirably executed, in va- 
rious metals, as well as in wood and alabaster, each adorned 
with appropriate emblems, and are supposed to have been 
conveyed from Sandal castle, and the chapel on Wakefield 
bridge, by the religious, in the reign of Henry VIII. They 
represented Moses and Aaron, kings David and Solomon, 
Christ, the twelve Apostles with their respective emblems, 
St. Paul, St. John the Baptist, and the three magi, Jasper, 
Melchior, Balthazar ; St. Anne, mother of the virgin Mary, 
teaching her to read ; St. William, archbishop of York, 
with his pastoral staff and mitre, and a monk at his feet 
praying; a figure with a mitre; a fine representation of 
of two saints suffering martyrdom, in Alto Relievo, in ala- 
baster ; St. John the Evangelist was represented in the 
cauldron surrounded by St. Polycarp, St. Ignatius, the 
principal Roman magistrates, and the executioners ; and 
another group consisted of a saint lying on a board, whilst 
his intestines are twisted gradually out, by a spit turned 

round by two lictors. HaAvorth church, in Bradford 

parish, rebuilt. There appears to have been a church here 

so early as a.d. 600. Farneley hall was built in the 

reign of Elizabeth, by Sir Thomas Danby, and was a "stately 
fabric, of its architecture and age. Upon the front wa» 



140 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 
1706.-1757. 

this inscription : " Builded in the year of our Lord 1586, and 
in the reii?n of the Queen 28, by Sir Thomas Danby, knight." 
It was pulled down in 175G, the materials were sold, and a 
very inferior mansion v.as erected on its site. It is not 
knoNvn M'hen the ancient park was destroj^ed. Farneley 
may be regarded as the last place in the parish of Leeds 
which continued to be the abode of aristocracy, and Dr. 
Whitaker says, "It is owing unquestionably to the aristoc- 
ratical genius of the place, that in the neighbourhood of a 
population rapidly increasing, where every rood of land 
when leased was sure of a tenant, little less ihan four hun- 
dred acres of native wood, such as in Doomsday is des- 
cribed as Silva Pascua, should have been permitted to 
remain to the present day." Farneley wood has, within the 
last few years been cut down. 

1757. The new regulations for levying the militia pro- 
duced such a spirit of insubordination in Yorkyhire, that 
a vast body of fiirmers, artizans, and labourers, from up- 
wards of thirty parishes, assembled at York and de- 
molished two houses, without Monk bar, in one of which 
the deputy-lieutenants were expected to assemble to re- 
ceive the constable's returns. By deed, dated July 

7th, 1757, it was declared that the inhabitants of Garforth 
had agreed to erect a school-house in the town of Garforth, 
on the promise of Sir Edward Gascoigne, lord of the 
manor, to settle upon and annex to the school as much of 
the common or waste lands of Garforth, as would produce 
the annual value of fifty shilliugs. Five acres were con- 
sequently given upon a lease of ninety-nine years, at the 
rent of one shilling. In 1774 arrangements were made 

for the erection of a house for the master. David 

Hartley, M.A., died 29th September, 1757, aged 53 years. 
This well known writer was born at Illiugworth, near 
Halifax. His father was curate there, and married May 
25th, 1707, a daughter of the Rev. Mr. Edward Wilkinson, 
his predecessor. This curacy, Mr. Hartley afterwards re- 
signed for the chapel of Armley, in the parish of Leeds, 
where he died, and left behind him eight children. His 
son David was brought up by one Mrs. Brooksbank, near 
Halifax, and received his academical education at Jesus 
college, Cambridge, of which he was fellow. He first 
began to practice physic at Newark, in Nottinghamshire, 
from whence he removed to St. Edmund's Bury, in Suffolk. 
After this, he settled for some time in London, and lastly, 
went to live at Bath, where he died. He acquired great 
reputation for his medical and mathematical writings. 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 141 

1757.- 1;58. 

Mr. Wesley, in his journal, mentions Hudder?? field, under 
the date June 9th, 1757, as follows : — " I rode over tho 
mountains to Hudderslicld. A Mulder people I never saw 
in England : the men, women, and children, filled the 
street as we rode along, and appeared jnst ready to de- 
vour us. They were, however, tolerably quiet wliile I 
preached ; only a few pieces of dirt were thrown ; and 
the bellman came in the middle of the sermon, but was 
stopped by a gentleman of the town. I had almost done, 
when the)^ began to ring the bells ; so that it did us small 
disservice. How intolerable a thing is the Go.spel of 
Christ to them who are resolved to serve the Devil." And 
again, in 1759, he says, " I preached near Huddersfield, to 
the wildest congregation I have seen in Yorkshire ; yet 
they "Were restrained by an unseen hand, and I believe 

some felt the sharpness of His word." John Firth, of 

Sowerby, had seven sons and daughters living and well, 
though the eldest was 87 years old, and the youngest 69. 

1758. A very handsome chapel was erected at Horsforth 
on the sire of the ancient edifice, under the auspices of 

the Stanhope family. The coloured or mixed Cloth 

Hall in Wellington-street, Leeds, was built this year by 
subscription. The department principall}' used for the 
sale of ladies' cloth in an undyed state, was added in 
1810. The building is of brick, of a quadrangular form, 
enclosing an open area of considerable extent. It is 380 
feet long and 200 broad, and contains 1,780 freehold stalls, 
divided into six compartments, which are appropriately 
called streets. Earh street, or avenue, contains two rows 
of stalls, and each stand measures 22 inches in front, 
having affixed thereon the name of the clothier to whom 
it belongs. The octagonal building near the entrance, is 
called " The Rotunda," and is used by the trustees of the 
hall. It is now greatly improved at the entrance by the 
removal of part of the wall, and the erection of iron gates 
and palisading. The opening of the hall is indicated by 
the ringing of a bell, at half-past nine o'clock, after which 
operations commence. Bargains are made with great 
quickness. The buyers pace np and down the avenues, 
look at the stalls as they pass, listen to the invitations of 
the sellers, examine the specimens offered, and make a 
short contest about price, the chaffering being speedily 
brought to a close either by one party or the other. All the 
sellers know the buyers ; and the discussions about olives, 
or browns, or pilots ; about 6-quarters or S-quarters ; 
about English or Foreign; about high quality and low 



142 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 
1758.-1759. 

quality, are heard on every side. The hall is kept open 
one hour and a quarter, and a bell announces the ap- 
proaching close of the market, and the ringing of another 
soon after terminates the business of the day. In the 
short time allotted, very extensive transactions take place, 
amounting from £20,000 to £30,000. The merchants are 
lined 5s. for remaining after the ringing of the last bell. 

The Leeds corporation commenced an action-at-law 
against William Denison, Esquire, one of the aldermen of 
the borough, for refusing to take upon himself the office of 
mayor, to which he had been elected no less than four 
times, namel}^ in IT.')^, 17«>5, 1757, and 1753. The cause 
was afterwards compromised by Mr. Denison engaging to 
accept office, on condition that the duties thereof might 
be discharged by his brother. Mr, Denison paid the cor- 
poration as costs in the action, £12 17d. 3d. 

1759. Sir George Savile was returned for Yorkshire in 

the place of Sir Coiiyers D'Arcy, deceased. Mr. 

Joseph Midgley, of Leeds, clothier, who died this year, 
left the interest of £800 to be paid quarterly to the poor 

of Harrison's hospital, in Leeds. It appears from Mr. 

Wesley's journal, that the parish of Halifax was agitated 
with an earthquake. It occurs under the date of May 
18th, 1759. " I rode in the afternoon from Halifax, over 
the huge, but extremely pleasant and fruitful mountains, to 
Heptonstall. A large congregation was waiting for us, not 
only on the ground, but on the side and tops of the neigh- 
bouring houses ; but no scoffer or trifler was seen among 
them. It rained in the adjoining valley, all or most of the 
time that I was preaching ; but it was fair with us on the 
top of the mountain. What an emblem of God's taking- 
up his people into a place of safety, while the storm falls 
on all below ! Here I was informed of the earthquake 
the day before. On Tuesday, May the 17th, many persons, 
in several parts, within five or ;iix miles, heard a strange 
noise under the ground, which some compared to thunder, 
others to the rumbling of carts : quickly after, they felt 
the earth rock under them and wave to and fro : many, 
who were within doors, heard their pewter and glass 
clatter; many in the fields felt the ground shake under 
their feet ; and all agreed as to tlie time, though they 
knew nothing of each other's account. Thursday, the 
19th, I preached at Ewood, about seven, not intending to 
preach again till the evening ; but Mr. Grimshaw begged 
I would give them one sermon at Gawksham ; after 
■which we climbed up the enormous mountain, I think 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 143 

1/59 -1760. 

equal to any I saw in Germany, on the brow of which we 
were saluted by a severe shower, which a high wind drove 
full in our faces, almost till we came to Haslendeu. Here 
I learned, that the earthquake observed near Heptonstall, 
had been sensibly felt by very many persons from Bingley, 
three miles eastward of Keighle}^ to the neighbourhood 
of Preston. It was everywhere preceded by a hoarse 
rumbling, about three o'clock ; so that in a few minutes it 
had run from east to west, between fifty and sixty 
miles." 

1760. The foundation stone of Harewood liouse was 
laid by Henry Lascelles, Esq. on the 23rd of March this 
year. The length of the building is 250 feet, and the width 
89 feet, displaying all therichness of Corinthian architecture. 
It is said to have cost upwards of £100,000. It stands on 
an elevated position, in a park of great beauty and extent, 
consisting of 1,S00 acres. The taste displayed in the 
pleasure grounds, gardens, and lake, corresponds with the 
magnificesice of the house. They comprise nearly 150 
acres. The terrace erected by the late earl will vie with 
the best of the kind in the country. The interior is very ele- 
gant and costly. The, entr ance hall \b supported at the sides 
by sixteen Doric columns and pilasters, and the walls are 
enriched wi{\\ basso relievos by Rose. In six niches are 
placed busts of various members of the famil}'. From the 
centre of the ceiling is suspended a beautiful lamp. The 
old ivy-mantled castle adds greatly to the beauty of the 

scenery of Harewood. Mr. Benjamin Wilson^ an 

eminent painter, flourished about this time. He was a 
native of Leeds, and particularlj^ distinguished for his 
etchings in imitation of Rembrandt, which are said to have 
completely deceived the connoisseurs of that day. The 
celebrated painting of the raising of Jairus's daughter, 
valued at £500, is an honourable proof both of his abilities 
as an artist, and of his generosity. It is now in the 

Leeds general intirmary. Two stone coffins were dug 

up at Black- hill, in the parish of Harewood, containing 
human bones. Foundations of buildings, urns, and coins, 
have been frequently found at the same place. 

George III. succeeded his grandfather George II., Oct. 
26th, 1760, and died Jan. 29th, 1820, thus reigning nearly 
sixty years, which is the longest reign in our histor3^ 

In this year the act of parliament of the 33rd Geo. II., 
cap. 54, was passed, entitled "An act for raising money 
for finishing and completing the repairs oi: Leeds bridge, in 
the county of York ; and for the purchasing and taking 



144 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1760-1763. 

down the houses and buildings which straiten and obstruct 
the passage to and over the said bridge." The act 
authorized the erection of "a stone arch over that part of 
the mill stream or goit passing under one arch of Leeds 
bridge aforesaid, which runs between master Green's 
house and the old school," the latter being the chantry of 
St. Mary, previously mentioned in this work. 

1761. On the 31st of August, the city of York was 
visited by the king of Denmark, being attended by many 
of his nobles and a numerous retinue. The following day, 
after visiting the cathedral and the assembly rooms, he 
departed for London, by way of Leeds and Manchester. 

Sir George Savile, and Edwin Lascelles> Esqrs. were 
returned as members for Yorkshire without opposition. 
They were also returned at the elections of 1768, and 
1774 Avithout opposition. 

1762. June i9th. Several moors in this county caught 
lire, to the great consternation and loss of the inhabi- 
tants in the respective neighbourhoods. Dec. 1st. A 

violent hurricane in York raged from nine o'clock at night 
till eight o'clock on the following night ; blowing down 
the weather cock and part of the battlement at the west 
end of the minster, and very seriously damaging numerous 
houses. 

1763. August 16th was born Frederick, second son of 
George, IIL, and eleventh duke of York he was advanced 
to the dignity of the duke of York and Albany, in 
Great Britain, earl of Ulster, m Ireland. His royal high- 
ness was also many years commander-in-chief of all the 
land forces of the united kingdom, colonel of the first 
regiment of foot guards, colonel- in-chief of the 60th regi- 
ment of infantry. He was the soldiers' friend, by whom 
he was venerated when living, and by whom his memory 
is still cherished with enthusiasm. He died January 5th, 
1827, and was buried in the royal vault at Windsor, on 

the 20th of the same month. Dec. 26th. Owing to a 

sudden thaw and heavy rain after a great fall of snow, 
the river Aire rose to such a height at Leeds that it 
forced down its banks at the head of the high dam, 
•where it formed a new channel, and swept away an acre 
of soil out of School-close, besides washing down several 
large trees at the Parks, close to the banks of the river. 

The damage was estimated at £1000. The church 

at Sowerby is a neat edifice, and was built in this year : 
it is dedicated to St. Peter, and valued in the parliamen- 
tary returns at £28. It is in the patronage of the vicar 



THE !>URllOUNDING DISTRICT. 146 

176.3.-1/65. 

of Halilax. The chapel has a chancel, in which is a 
statue of Archbishop Tiliotson, erected in compliance 
with the will of his surviving grand-niece, between sixty 
and seventy years ago. This celebrated person was born afc 
Ha ugh -End, in October, 1630. 

1764. The Rev. Samuel Brooke, A. INI., rector of Gamsfon, 
Notts, was this year electc d master of the Leeds grammar 
school : died September Sfh, 177^ He was distinguislied 
for the point and neatness of his epigrams in Latin and 

English. June 2.'3(h, an excellent dinner was given at 

the Green Dragon, Harrogate, by 21 of the neighbouring 
gentry, to ]Mr. and Mrs. Liddal, on their taking the " Flitch 
OF Bacon Oatj," inserted in the ()07th number of the 
Spectator, and appointed to be taken by such happy couples 
as wish to be rewarded for having lived one year and a 
day (or more) in wedlock, without strife, or wishing the 

" silken cord" untied October 2nd. An advertisement 

bearing this date, says, " Safe and expeditious travelling 
with machines on steel springs in four days to London, 
from the Old King's Arms, in Leeds, every Monday and 
Wednesday." 

In this year Avigs were fast becoming unfashionable, and 
the wig-makers of London petitioned Geo. HI to compel 
gentlemen to wear wigs by law, for the benefit of their 
trade. 

176.1. Mrs. Barbara Chantrill bequeathed the interest of 
£400 to the poor Avidows of Mrs. Potter's alms houses, in 

Camp-road, Leeds. The father of Richard Wilson, 

Esq. recorder, built a large house on a part of the site of 

Leeds castle (Scarborough's hotel). On the 27lh of 

March was held the llrst fortnight sheep and cattle fair at 
Wakefield, and on the 2nd of April following, tiie iuliabi* 
tants of Adwalton advertised it as illegal, and thai they 
should bring actions at law " against all persons by whom 
Buch intended meetings at Wakefield shall be held," as the 
same would be highly prejudicial to the neighbouring fairs 
and markets at Adwalton, which are held by virtue of a 
" Royal Charter." On the Sth of September, died Sir 
Thomas Dennison, the son of a clothier, at North-town- 
end, Leeds, who by his merit as a lawyer was elevated to 

a seat in the king's bench. The isle of Man was an> 

nexed to the crown of England, having been purchased 

from the duke of Alhol The following curious notices 

of business to be attended to in each year, occur iu a 
memorandum book formerly belonging to Mr. Thomas 
Barstow, the younger, town clerk of the borough of Leeda, 
this year : — 13 



146 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

^'^^ 27 Sept ToffWe notice of a court of mayor, ald'men, and assist 

ants, to choose a new mayor, (and assists, if wanting,) on the 29th at 

3 o'clock in the afternoon ; afterwards the old mayor, tne mayor elect, 

and the rest of the court go and drink a glass. The old mayor pays 

aguiaea, the mayor elect 10s. 6d, the aldermen 2s. a piece, and the 

asLtants Is. each What is spent above is paid by the treasurer out 

' of the corporation stock. ^ u ^u 

Sunday after the last mentioned day, the new mayor goes to church 

with the old mayor, the former in a black and the latter in a scarlet 

eown, and dine together at the old mayor's. _ . 

. The first Sunday after the new mayor is sworn in, is a Gcvn 

''^'Vhe first whole week after Michaelmas, the quarter sessions, dine 
vv.fch the old mayor, go to court after dinner to swear the new mayor 
Sup With the new mayor. Waites Pl^^i^g before^^themfroua court 
New mayor gives the old church nngers 10s., St. Johns 5.., and 
Trinity Is. 

1766 Huddersfield Cloth Hall, or Piece Hall Avas erected 
this year This edifice was built by Sir John Ramsden, 
and was enlarged by his son in 1780. It is an extensive 
circular edifice, two stories high, divided on one side mto 
separate compartments or shops, and on the other mto 
onen stalls for the accommodation of country manufac- 
tirers of woollen cloths. There are two central avenues 
of stalls for the same purpose, and about six hundred 
manufacturers now attend here every market day Ihe 
doors are opened early in the morning ot the market day 
they are,closed at half-past twelve o'clock at noon; and 
they are again opened at half-past three for the removal of 
cloth &c. A cupola and bell are placed above the en- 
■ France for the purpose of regulating the l.me allowed for 
doing business.-i— Edward, duke of 1 ork, this year 
visited the earl of Mexbro'. ^. , ^ /i • Ko. 

1767 Ann Sowerhy was burnt at 1 ork for murdering her 
l,ii.Lpd The walls of the venerable church of Dews- 
bury gave way, and were rebuilt with a laudable regard 

to the preservation of the works of antiquity^- Thomas 

Hudson, a native of Leeds, who was reduced from affluence 
fo beggary by the "South Sea Bubble," died this year at 
a very advanced age. In the early part of his life he was 
clei^^n a government office, and by the death ol an aunt 
obtPiued a large fortune, Avhich he iioldly ventured in the 
South Sea Scheme, after the failure of which, he left his 
ZX^etun Stkordshire, where ho had just buried an 
affectionate wife, and became a wandering lunatic mendi- 
affectionate^^^^ h^equently seen perambulating the fields 
about Chelsea, bare-footed, wrapped m a rug, and sup- 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. l47 

1767.- 1/68. 

ported by a crutch, under the name of "Tom of fen 
thousand," as he used to call himself. 

Betv/een the j'ears 17^>7 and 178/ the average cost af 
manufacturing a pack of long wool into yarn ^yas as 
follows : — 1 }{ pack of Lincoln or Kent wool would cost 
£7- 10s. The washing and combing would cost £2. 10s.; 
the spinning, £9. ; the carrying out, £2. ; the average 
Norwich profit would be £3. ; making a total of £20. 

About the same time, a wool-comber with three thou- 
sand pounds capital, would make four hundred and six- 
teen packs in one j^^ear, or twelve hundred pounds profit. 
His return would be eight thousand seven hunbred and 
thirty-six pounds. The state of things in this manufac- 
ture, before machinery was introduced to an}^ extent, 
may be ascertained from the fact that in 1738, a pack 
of long wool made into fine stuffs, would employ oue^ 
hundred and fifty-eight persons a week, who earned 
thirty -two pounds twelve shillings. In 178S the spinners 
were old men, women, and children of both sexes ;n and 
at that time in sixteen counties, their average earnings 
w^as sixpence farthing per day. .^ 

176S. The first stone of the Leeds General Infirmary was 
laid this year. It is a spacious but plain building of red 
brick, with stone facings. It was originally of two stories. 
The two large wings have been added at different times, 
and the bod}^ of the building raised to the same elevation, 
besides other improvements ; the whole forming three 
sides of a quadrangle. The length of the building is 
150 feet, the width 3S; the court is 1S6 feet by 30 feet, 
the back court, with the offices and gardens, 186 feet by 
120 feet. In 1817, R. F. Wilson, Esq , of Ingmanthorp; 
munificentl}' presented the trustees with a plot of land on 
the south front, consisting of 4,000 square yards, valued, 
at £1,500, which extends from the ground on the south 
front to ^Yellington•road. The land is tastefully laid out 
as a garden and pleasure ground, and is enclosed by a 
substantial wall, surmounted with iron palipades, and 
forms an ornament to the western part of the town. 

It contains 143 beds, in part devoted to surgical, and in 
part to medical cases. Upwards of 2,000 in and 3,000 
oitt-patients receive the benefit of this institution yearly: 
247,911 patients have been treated within its walls since 
the opening. As a surgical school it is unsurpassed by any 
hosj)ital ill the kingdom. 

It is supported by annual subscriptions, benefactions, 
legacies, and public collections, chiefly from the town. 



148 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1/68. 

The subscriptions and collections amount to about £2,500 

per annum : the dividends on £3,000 three per cent consols, 

purchased with the amount of various bequests, are also 

available for the general expenditure, the annual amount 

of which is something' approaching £5,000. 

The Leeds Library was commenced under the recom- 
mendation of Dr. Priestley, and was then on the ground- 
floor of the Rotation-Office, in Kirkgafe. The present 
building, erected at a cost of £5,000, is situated in Com- 
mercial-street ; the basement story is rusticated, and is at 
present occupied as shops, which produce a considerable 
rental. The front consists entirely of stone, and is divided 
above the rusticated base into live compartments by Ionic 
pillars, with windows of the same order in each division, 
the whole tinishing in a bold cornice and entablature. The 
library is approached by a staircase at the west end ; the 
books, consisting of 30,000 volumes are systematically 
arranged on the upper floor, in one principal and three 
smaller rooms, the dimensions of which are, the large 
room, 180 feet by 9J ; 1st. smaller, 5/ by 54; 2nd. smaller 
same size ; 3rd. smaller, 51 by 42 ; which together, gives 
53-i feet of available wall space for displaying the books. 
The library consists of a well-selected collection of books, 
many of which are extremely valuable, comprising the 
best editions of the standard authors, both English and 
foreign, in every branch of literature ; also a rare collec- 
tion of quarto tracts relating to the civil wars. It is 
acknowledged to be one of the most spacious and beautiful 
libraries in the north of England. Dr. Whittaker says of 
it, "a splendid apartment which would not disgrace a 
college." The number of subscribers is limited to 500. 
iStrangers can obtain admission on application to a member. 

On the fith of September, the king of Denmark passed 
through Leeds with a splendid retinue, and after visiting 
the Clolh Hall, was sumptuously entertained by the cor- 
poration. On October 7th, tlie Rev. Richard Fawcett, 

A.M., was chosen incumbent of St. John's, in Leeds. He 
held the living fifteeen years. By a suit in chancery 
agsinst the trustees of that church He increased the yearly 
value of the benefice to six times its former amount. He 
was a ver}^ acute man, and master of a neat clear con- 
troversial style. This year Pontefract was distracted 

by two violent parties, viz , lord Galloway's and Sir 
Rowland Winn's, who each elected a mayor, and kept the 
town some time in great confusion, till one of the two 
gave up the mace. Bridge Frodsham, the "York 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 149 

1768.-1769. 

Roscius," breathed his last on the 26fh of October, 1768, 
in the city of York, where he had so loug- been the idol of^ 
the stage, and received such unqualified flattery, that he 
fancied himself equal in many tragic parts to the great> 
Garrick, and would not have exchanged the applause of a 
York for that of a London audience. He was only once 
in the metropolis, and then only for a few days, during 
which he visited Garrick, whom, as well as Mrs. Garrick, 
he surprised and baffled with his freedom and self-sufficient 
airs, saying that he was a Roscius in his own quarters, 
and neither wanted nor wished for an engagement in 
London, but came there merely to see a few jDlays, and' 

visit a brother genius. In Jul^', this year, a great 

flood carried away three bridges, and did much damage at 
Leeds and Bradford, where the cellars near the river were 
inundated, and at the latter place, great quantities of 
cloth, wool, &c., were carried awa}" by the stream, into 
which a man and a boy fell witli the bridge on which they 

were standing. Near the walls of the city of York, 

some labourers discovered a Roman sepulchre, formed of 
tiles 20 inches long, 15 3^ broad, and 3 inches thick, with 
prominent edges, and a cover resembling the roof of a 
house, formed with semicircular tiles of a small diameter, 
fitting very close. Each end of the dormitory was closed 
with a tile like those of the sides ; on each of which were 
these letters and figures, '-Leg. IX. HIS." In the cavity 
were found the remains of a human body, which seemed 
to have been burnt, particularly part of a thigh bone, and 
the lower jaw, which was broken, but contained all its 
teeth There was also an urn, of a blueish grey colour, 
containing ashes, covered with a slate. Near to this was 
found another earthen vessel of red clay, Avith a handle to 
it ; there were likewise a few coins and a medal; one of 
the coins was a Domitan, well preserved, having on the 
reverse, " Fidei Pablicce." 

1769. October. Between Gillygate and the walls of the 
city of York, was found by some workmen, a Roman silver 
coin. On one side was a head in profile, and this inscrip- 
tion, " Capit cxiii." On the reverse two oxen, with the 
yoke on their necks, but no plough ; above them was in- 
scribed "CXIII."; and under their feet " C. Marl" 

^[ajor Bradley, of Leeds, advertised his wife having left 
him for the 14th time ! I Two coaches carried pas- 
sengers from " Leeds to London in two days and a half," 

for £1. lis. 6d. inside, or £1. Is. outside. A man at 

Leeds was indicted for paying a bad "six and thirty," and 



150 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1769 -17/0. 

many persons in Halifax and ofher places were appre- 
hended for clipping and sweating the 35s., I8s., and 63. 9d., 
and otlier gold pieces, and for counterfeiting the Portuguese 

coin then current in England. At the York Spring 

assizes, about forty coiners and clippers were tried, but 
only two were executed, viz. : James Oldfield, of Warley, 
and Diivid Harlly, of Erringden. The latter was called 
'■^ King David,"' hy h'lH illicit fraternity, who had another 
chief dislinguished wilh the title of "Duke of Edinburgh." 
The favourite haunt of this desperate gang, was tht! wild 
and mouutanious parish of Halifax, of which many of 
them \vere natives. After David their "king" had been 
apprehended in the town of Halifax, some of the gang 
murdered Mr. Deighton, a supervi>;or, within one hundred 
yards of his own house, for which crime, Robert Thomas 
was executed at York on the 6ih of August, 177-t, and 
gibbeted on the Beacon-hill, with his right hand pointing 
to the scene of the murder. Matthew Norman ton also 
suffered death as an accomplice in the bloody deed. 

Mcchngs were held at various times in Leeds, Bradford, 
and IJalifax, to consult on the best means to be used for 
gupprc.-5.siug this numerous gang of Yorkshire coiners, 
whose frauds and violence had increased to a very alarm- 
ing extent. The widow of Mr. Deighton, being recom- 
mended by the Yorkshire gentry as an object of royal 
bounty, received from hi.s majesty a gift of £2^0, and an 

annuity of £50 for life. On the third of February, 

thi.s year, there were at Lecd.^ and Bradford grand sep- 
tennial ])rocessions of the vvool-comber.s in honour of their 

patron bishop Blaise. ^In August, (he Rev. John 

\V'(\sloy held at Leeds a kind of "Visitation," which he 
called a Conference, a name by Avhich the yearly synods 
of his followers have since been distinguished. 

At the village of Thornton, in the parish of Bradford., a 
most eccentric character, George Kirlon, Esq., of Oxnop 
Hall, died in l/BO, aged one hundred and twenty-five. He 
was a most remarkable fox-hunter, following the chase on 
horseback till he was eighty years of age; from that 
period to one hundred year.s, he regularly attended the 
Gukennelling the fox in his single chair. 

1770. The construclion of the Leeds and Liverpool 
canal was commenced this year, and was not completed 
to Liverpool till 1S16. The whole length of the canal 
is 120 miles. In its cour.se it passes Ormskirk, Wigan, 
Blackburn, Burnley, and Colne, in Lancashire, andSki])ton, 
Keighley, Bingley, and Bradford to Leeds in Yorkshire. 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 151 

1770. 

It joins the Aire at Leeds, thus opening a direct line of mvi- 
gation between Hull and Liverpool, and the principal 
towns in the kingdom. It communicates with the Ribble 
by the Douglas navigation, and a branch from Wigan to 
Leigh connects it with the Bridgewater canal. The Aire 
and Calder Canal has its junction with the Leeds and 
Liverpool, at Leeds. It extends to "^Aeeland, from thence 
to the Ousc, near Goole ; and from Haddlesey to the same 

river at Selby. During the iirst ten years of the reign 

of George III., some discoveries and inventions were made, 
by which the prosperity of the whole empire received a 
newimpulse. B}*" the improvements effected in the steam- 
engine by Mr. James Watt, a superior mechanic power 
was obtained for the driving of machinery and 01 her pur- 
poses. I^Ir, James Hargreaves, of Blackburn, invented the 
spinning -jenny, a contrivance for abridging the u.se of liaud 
labour in the cotton manufacture. Upon this an iinjjrove- 
raent was afterwards made by Mr. Richard Arkwrighr, Avho 
invented what was called the spinning- framz, by which a 
vastnumber of threadsof the utmost fineness were spun with 
verylittle aid from hand labour. A third invention called the 
mule jenny, by Mr. Crompton, of Bolton, came into use 
some years later ; and finally i^Q power -loom was iuvented 
by Dr. Cartwright for superseding hand labour iii weaving. 
Mr. Watt was an artisan in his early days : .Mr. Hargrea\'es 
was a carpenter; and Mr. Arkwright a dresser uf hair. 
The last, who was knighted by George III., left at his 
death nearly a million sterling, realised by the profit of 

his invention. On the banks of the Oiise, about a mile 

and a h.ilf from York, in a piece of ground opened for a 
gravel pit, were discovered several fragments of Ri):n.'m 
earthenware, such as pateras, urns, and some \'ery large 
vessels, ornamented with vine leaves, and one inscribed 
"0[)hilas"; also part of a urn of crystal, an iron flesh 
fork, and a piece of brass. A stratum of oys'er sin lis ap- 
peared to have been laid from two five feet below the 
surface of the ground, and above them was a rich black 
earth, like soot mixed with oil, amongst which were 
pieces of burnt wood; over these were scattered great 
numbers of heads of beasts, and in several others were 
bones mi.Keu with earth, and fi'agmenfs of earthen vessels. 
Not far from these, the earth, about three feet below the 
surface, was discoloured and greasy, as though it had 

been soaked with hlood. In digging a dr.iin from 

the north-east of Davygate to the corner of Lendal, in 
York, the foundations of three walls were discovered, 



152 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1770.-1771. 

about seven feet below the ground. They were from nine 

and a half to eleven and a half feet broad, about three feet 

distant from each other, and were composed of pebbles 

strongly cemented ; the space between the walls being 

securely filled with clay. October 4th, died Mrs. 

Peckham, the celebrated cook; and, on the 6th, Mary 
Dob:don, alias '^' Match Mary,"" who kept her coffin, shroud, 
&c., 17 years in her house previous to her death. 

In August, this year, part of the foundation of a temple, 
of Roman brick work, was found iu Friar's garden, in 
York, about two feet belov.^ the surface of the earth, of a 
semicircular form, the other half being under an adjoining 
house. Under this fragment was a iiat grit stone, three 
feet long, two feet one inch broad, and seven inches thick, 
on which was an inscription, and some curious carved 

work, in line preservation. Some Eogian foundations 

were diwcovered near St. Helen's church, St. Helen's- 
square, York ; the origin of which church can be traced 
back to the ages of heathen idolatry, when a temple dedi- 
cated to Diana was erected here. Wilks, the popular 

champion of the people's rights, being liberated from his 
long imprisonment on the 18th of April, in this year, the 
event was honoured in Yorkshire with great rejoicings ; 
the towns of Leeds, Wakefield, Bradford, Halifax, &c., 
being enlivened with ringing of bells, fireworks, illumina- 
tions, and other demonstrations of joy. " Wilks and Liberty,** 
and "No. 45," were seen in almost every window. 

This year died Anthony Herridance, a baker, of Shad- 
well, supposed to have been the heaviest man then in 

Europe. In September, this year, 11,000 freeholders of 

Yorkshire petitioned his majesty for a dissolution of par- 
liament. July 3rd, the relict of the Rev. William 

Whitaker, instead of expending £50 in funeral pomp, gave 
that sum to the Leeds infirmary, then building. 

In September, Sir James Ibbetson, bart., was chosen 
common councilman of Leeds, being then resident in 
Kirkgate. 

177L Cuthhert Shaw, the son of a shoemaker at Ravens- 
worth, near Richmond, was born in 1738, and died this 
year ; v,^as some time usher to the grammar school at 
Darlington, where he published his first poem, entitled 
" Liberty." He took to the stage. Wrote a satire, en- 
titled the " Four Farthing Candles," with a view to 
ridicule Coleman, Churchill, Lloyd, and Shirley ; and next 
made Churchill the object of single attack, in a heroic 
poem, called the " Race of Mercurius Spur, with notes by 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 163 

1771.-1774. 

Faustiims Scriblerus." He had the instruction for some 
time of the son of Philip Dormer Stanhope, the rarl of 

Chesterfield. This year ^yeve opened the liCeds general 

Infirmary, the Theatre, Hunslet-lane, and the Methodist 
chapel, in Low-street, St. Peter's-street. 

1772. August 8th, four persons Avere tried at York for 
murdering: a boy who A\as afflicted with that dreadful 
malady hydrophobia, but they were acquitted for want of 

evidence. Negroes were adjudged to be free Avhilsfc 

in this couutr}'. August 27th, a county meeting- was 

held at the castle of York, when Archbishop Drummond 
was called to the chair, and proposed that a subscription 
should be commenced for the erection of an asylum in the 
city, expressly for pauper lunatics, or such as belonged to 
indigent families : i.'2,500 a\ as quickly subscribed. 

Judges A\ ere this ye;n' appointed for life, instead of 

during pleasure. June 20th, at Leeds, hailstones fell 

as large as nutmegs, doing immense damage Avhile the 

storm continued. This year 210,111) pieces of broad 

and narrow cloth Avere sold at Leeds. 

1773. June 8th, ten plaijs advertised to be performed by 
subscriplion, at the theatre, Leeds. Box tickets, 15s.; p t, 
10s., for the course. In May 10th, of the following year, 
the same plan Avas resorted to. June 15(h. a self- 
moving phaeton aa as advertised to be exhibited at the 
sign of the Pied Bear, (now the Bull and Mouth,) Brig- 
gate, Leeds. February 9th, the Quakers in Leeds 

subscribed £70 for bread for the poor, an example (says 
the editor of the Mercury) "in these pinching times not 

unAA^orthy the imitation or the affluent." In March, 

the merchants and tradesmen of Leeds agreed, at a pul)lic 
meeting, to take all k-nds of Portugal go-cl. provid ng it 

was good, and of sufficient Aveiuht. Foster PoweUf 

the celebrated pedestrian, a native of Horsforth, com- 
pleted his first Avalk from London to York and back, in 
') days nnd IB hours; this task he repeated in 1787, and 
subsequently, in 1792, in 5 days, 13 hours, lo minutes, 

being then in his 58th year. The first manufactory 

for cast plate glass, according to the process invented by 
Abraham The'vart, Avas established at Prescot, in Lanca- 
shire, by a society of gentlemen, to Avhom a royal charter 
was granted, under the name of the " British Plate Glass 
Company." 

1774. On Sunday, July 3Ist, the sails of the Avindmill 
belonging to tho Leeds pottery fell doAvn with a tremen- 
dous crash, which, being looked upon as a judgment for 



154 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1774 -1775. 

desecrating the Sabbath, the proprietors resolved that the 
mill should never be allowed to be worked afterwards on 

the Lord's day. In this year great distress prevailed 

amongst the poor of Leeds, when "not less than 6,000 
persons were relieved weekly for some time." Inclemency 
of the weather, dearness of provisions, and bad trade, 

were assigned as the causes. A gold coin of Justinian, 

weighing twenty-one grains, was found at Osmondthorpe, 
near Leeds, which is supposed to have been the royal resi- 
dence of some of the kings of Northumbria. On the 

14th of August, Isabella Cryer, died suddenly at Leeds, 
aged 41 : she measured three yards round, and is supposed 
to have weighed forty stone. She was borne to the grave 
by ten men. In this year the Leeds corporation sub- 
scribed £100 towards the building of a new White Cloth 
Hall in the town. 

1775. The American war of independence commenced 
in the summer of this year, occasioned by the colonists 
having refused to submit to the imposition of taxes by 
the English government. On the 4th of July, 1776, the 
American congress took the decisive step of a declaration 
of their independence, embodying their sentiments in a 
document remarkable for its pathos and solemnity. France, 
Spain, and Holland joined their arms with those of 
America against .England; while Russia, Sweden, and 
Denmark remained an "armed neutrality," decidedly 
hostile to Britain. So tremendous was the force raised 
against Britain in 1779, that it required about 300,000 
armed men, 300 armed vessels, and twenty millions of 
money annually, merely to protect herself from her 
enemies. On the 3rd of September, 1783, treaties of peace 
were signed between Great Britain, France, Spain, and 
the Unifed States of America. By these treaties Great 
Britain acknowledged the independence of the United 
States, and restored to France and Spain a part of the 
possessions which had been taken from them. 

In this year, a farmer near Bingle3^ digging in his Held, 
discovered a copper chest, containing about one hundred 
weight of Roman silver coins, some of the date of Julius 

Caesar. A very high flood occurred in the river Aire 

on the 21st of October, this year. Water-lane, together 
with all the other streets and lanes near the Leeds bridge, 
were rendered impassable to anything but boats. The 
bridges of Calverley and Swillington, above and below 
Leeds, were destroyed, and a singular circumstance is 
related of a hare, which escaped alive on the body of a 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 155 

1775 -1776. 

drowned sheep. The height to which the water rose is 
preserved by a notice at the end of Water-lane, entering- 
from the bridge, thus: — "1775, October 21st, Flood," 
under which is a line showing That the water rose seven 
feet above the crown of the paving. 

There is a monument in the chancel of the parish church 
at Halifax, of Dr. Leigh, who distinguished himself in the 
Bangorlan controvers}', bearing the following inscription : — 
" Near this place, in the same vault, are deposited the 
remams of the Rev. George Leigh, LL.D. and his two 
beloved wives, Frances and Elizabeth, to whose joint 
memory this monument is erected; he was vicar of this 
parish of Halifax abo^e forty-four years: during which 
time he interested himself with laudable zeal in the cause 
of liberty and sincerity, being the last survivor of those 
"\vorthy men who distinguished themselves by their opposi- 
tion to ecclesiastical tyranny, he defended the rights of 
mankind in that memorable Hoadlian controversy. The 
bible he considered as the only standard of faith and prac- 
tice, to the poor and distress'd and public charity's, he was 
a generous benefactor, by his will order'd bibles to be given 
for the benefit of the poor. Ke did honour to his profession 
as a clergyman and christian. Esteem'd when liveing, in 
death lamented. He died composed on the Gth of Decemb'r, 
1775, in the S2d year of his age ; his wife Frances died 
Decemb'r 9th, 1749; Elizabeth, Feb. Sth, 17G5." 

The population of Leeds v/as, at this time, 17,117; Man- 
chester, 42,937. On the 21st of September, Miss Carr, 

of Sw'inegate, Leeds, was unfortuately killed by lightning. 

Before the act of parli'-ment of this date, country banks 
issued notes for sums so small as lOs. and 5s. Some banks 
m Yorkshire even circulated notes of the value of 6d. 

The manufactures of England, &c., were greatl}'" facili- 
tated by the inventions of Mr. James Y/att, a Glasgov\^ 
mechanic, ^\ ho this j^ear obtained a patent for his rotative 
steam-engine, which is now so generally used in all parts 
of the kingdom, propelling nearly all kinds of machinery, 
from the lieaviest hammers of the fulling mill and forge to 

the shuttle of the newly invented power-loom. Leeds 

White Cloth Hall, in the Calls, was opened on the I7th of 
October, this year, c nd was built on the site of an ancient 
hospital. 

1776. Jan. 11th. William Dennison, Esq. gave thirty 
loads of corn and four hundred corves of coal to the poor 

of Kirkgate division. The following memorandum was 

w^ritten in a bible, nov/ in the posses.jion of a family at 



156 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 
1776.-1777. 

Rishton, near Blackburn: — "Thos. Dixbury, of Rishtou, 
near BLickburn, sold to Messrs. Peel, Yates, and Co., 
Church bank, t\vo common fine calico pieces for £5. 9s. 8d. 
These were the first pieces ever manufactured in this king- 
dom." This year, the market cross, Leeds, w as erected 

to replace a more ancient one. The report of woollens 

manufactured in the West-Riding this year, states that the 
following M'ere produced from Easter, 1775, to Easter, 1776, 
viz., of narrow cloth, 99,586; and of broad cloth, 99,773 
pieces ; being an increase of 6,687 pieces above the pre- 
ceding year. No fewer than 926 patients ^\ere ad- 
mitted into the Leeds infirmary this year. Thomas 

Aikney and Elizabeth Boardingham were executed at York, 
March 25: h, for the murder of the husband of the latter at 
Flam borough. The body of Aikney wa5 brought to Leeds 

for dissection. A new post coach was advertised to go 

to London in thirty-nine hours from the old King's Arms, 

Leeds. The Doncaster St. Leger was established by 

Colniel vSt. Leger this year. Francis Fawkes, a poet, 

was born in Yorkshire about 1721; and took his master's 
degree at Cambridge, in 1745 ; and, on entering into orders, 
became curate of Bramham, where he wrote "Bramham 
Park," a poem. He obtained the curacy of Croydon in 
1754, where he became known to arclibishop Herring, who 
gave him tlie vicarage of Orpington, with St. Mary Cray, in 
Kent, Avhich, in 1771, he exchanged for the rectory of Hayes. 
Published a volume of original poems and translations, and 
an eclogue on "partridge shooting," and other works. 
Died in 1777. 

1777. The County Hall, or Court House, in York castle 

yard, was built this year. There is an epitaph as 

follows, in Birstal church j^ard : — 

" This is to the memory of old Amos, 

Who wi;s when alive ior hunting famous; 

But now his chases are all o'er. 

And here he's earth'd of years four score. 

Upon this tomb he's often sat 

And tried to read his epitaph; 

And thou who dost so at this moment 

Shall ere long like him be dormant. 
Amos Street, of Birstal, Huntsman to Mr. Fearnley, of Oak- 
well, who d:ed Oct. 3rd, 1777." 

June 9th. The Assembly Rooms, (in Assembly-court), 
Leeds, was opened with a minuet by lady Effingham and 
Sir George Savile, bart., on which occasion upwards of two 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 157 

1777.-1779. 

hundred and twenty of the neicrhboiiring nobility and gen- 
try were present. Sept. 14th. The shock of an earth- 
quake was felt in Leeds and to the westw ard. York 

Lunatic Asylum being nearly completed, apartments were 
opened on the 20th of September for ten patients, at 8s. per 
•week. Dr. Hunter was appointed physician. 

In Januarj% the citizens of York were much exasperated 
by the appearance of a "■Press Gan{/,'" and on the 26th the 
lord mayor received a letter bearing- the York postmark 
on it, threatening " that if those men were not removed 
from the city on or before the 2Sth, his lordship's own 
dwelling and the mansion house also should be burned to 
the ground." 

177s. The baptisms, marriages, and funerals at the 
parish church of Leeds, from January, 1777, to January, 
177s, were as follows: — baptisms, 1*025; marriages, 3G0; 

funerals, 945. On June 14th, was a total eclipse of 

the sun. On December 3ist a great storm of wind 

occurred, by which much damage v/as done in the town 

and neighbourhood of Leeds. The inhabitants of 

"Wakefield empowered the churchwardens to contract with 
Messrs. Pack and Chapman, of London, to exchange the 
old bells that were hung in 1739, for a new peal of eight ; 
the tenor to weigh 24 cwt., the rest in proportion. 

This year Paul Jones, a bold adventurer, kept all the 
western coast of the island in continual alarm. He lauded 
at Whitehaven, where he burned the ships in the harbour, 
and attempted to burn the town. He afterwards landed 
in Scotland, where he continued his depredations. 

On the 20th of September in the following year, a sea fight 
took place off Flamborough Head, between Paul Jones and a 
British fleet under the command of Captain Pearson. The 
battle commenced about half-past :-;ovcn o'clocl: in the 
evening, and raged ^vil:h great fury lor t^vo hours, ^v'llen 
Captain Pearson was compelled to surrender. The enemy 
purchased his victory at a prodigious price, not less than 
300 of his men being killed and wounded. 

1779. Jan. 27th. On this day the venerable abbey, at 
Kirkstall, suffered the loss of two sides .of its fine tower, 
and a part of a third, when several little smoking pipes, 
such as were used in the time of James I. were found em- 
bedded in the mortar, whence it is argued that smoking 
was practised in England before the introduction of 

American tobacco in 1586. Parliam.ent granted £5000 

to James Berkenhout and Thomas Clarke, of ilalton, near 
Leeds, on condition that they should make known to the 

14 



158 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

J779. 

public their newly-discovered method of dyeing linen and 
cotton cloth, in scarlet, crimson, and other colours varie- 
gated. The secret was attempted to be divulged, but no 
hues could ever be produced like the specimens, which in 
all probability were the effect of accident rather than 
skill, as had been the case eight years before at Barnard 
castle, where a dyer's boiling kettles were in 1771 suddenly 
inundated by the overflowing of the Tees, which struck 
such a beautiful shade upon the cloth then in process, that 
it sold in London at a greatly advanced price, and orders 
poured in for more of the same hue, which the poor dyer 
could never again produce, the genius of the river not 
dingniug to pay him another visit. Mr. Berkenhout was 
the descendant of a Dutch merchant, who settled at Leeds, 

A descendant of his partner, Mr. Peter Clarke, occupied 
the Wliite Bridge Mill, at Halton, until 1857, where he 
manufactured bunting for ship's colours, and where the 
first power-loom in England was at work long before the 
public became acquainted with the steam power-loom of 
the present day. The mill is now .converted into two 
dwellings, and a water-wheel is (1859) being erected 
near the reservoir, to supply Halton, Temple-Newsam, and 
"Whitkirk with water. 

About this time, a man passing by Hathershelf Scout, 
observed his dog enter a narrow aperture : supposing 
him to have caught the scent of a fox, he pursued and 
found the opening gradually expand into a small cave, 
where he found, not a fox but a savage, who barred all 
further approach by a pistol. The astonished discoverer 
withdrew, but quickly returned with some assistants, one 
of whom boldly entered, and secured the inhabitant of the 
cave. The reason for his choice of this unknown retire- 
ment now appeared. It was a repository of stolen goods; 
among which were two surplices taken from the parish 
church of Rochdale, with the scarlet hood of a doctor in 
divinit5^ The plate stolen at the same time had been pre- 
viously discovered in another place. The cave was not 
large enough for the reception of living oxen, but it was 
copiously stored with slaughtered animal food, properly 
cured for a long concealment. The ruffian thus extricated 
from his lurking place was transported for life. 

Destructive riots took place in London, when at least 
50,000 persons from one meeting took their route over 
London bridge, bearing Hags inscribed " No Popery," 
headed by lord George Gordon. They burnt the furniture, 
ornaments, and altars of two Roman Catholic chapels, set 



THE SURllOaXDING DISTRICT. 159 

1779. 

fire to the house of the keeper of Newgate, also to the 
prison, which was soon entered and destroyed, and the 
prisoners ^vere liberated. The king's Bench prison and 
the ncAv Bridewell, together with i^ome adjoining houses 
were set on fire and nearly consumed. Attempts were 
twice made on the bank of England on the same day. The 
rioters were repulsed after many of them had fallen by 
the fire of the military. The total of killed and wounded 
was 285. Several of the prisoners were afterwards exe- 
cuted. Lord George Gordon was tried for high treason, 
but acquitted. 

This year was discovered near Morton, in the parish of 
Bingley, one of the most valuable deposits of Roman Coin, 
ever seen in Britain. It consisted of a very large quantity 
of Denarii in excellent preservation, for the mosL part of 
Septimus Scvenis, Julia Domna, CaracaUa, and Geta, ail con- 
tained in the remains of a brass chest, which had probably 
been the military chest of a Roman legion, and buried there 

upon some sudden alarm. In this year, a few persons 

at Leeds, of the Baptist denomination, hired a part of the 
Old Assembly Rooms ; and Mr., afterwards Dr. Fawcett 
and the Rev. J. Parker, of Barnoldswick, preached on the 
occasion of its being opened for public worship. This 
may be considered as the commencement of the Ba])tist 
interest in Leeds. Two years afterwards the chapel, 
commonly called the Stone chapel, was opened. The 
present edifice in South- parade was built in lS2fi. 

"In the year 1779, a countryman," says Whitaker, 
" digging peat on Mixenden moor, struck his spade through 
a black polished stone, resembling a hone or whet-stone; 
adjoining to this stone v,^as a most beautiful brass celt, in 
excellent preservation. These remains were accompanied 
by four arrow heads of black flint ; by a light battle-axe 
head of a beautiful green pebble ; and lastly, by a hollow 
gouge, or scoop, of hard grey stone, evidently ii^tended 
for the excavation of canoes and other wooden vessels. 
The last is unique, no implement for this purpose having 
ever been discovered before. Together they seem to have 
formed the imperishable part of the arms of a British 
soldier, who, by some other means than in battle, had 
perished, perhaps two thousand years ago, amongst these 
wastes, where all remains of the body, together Avith the 
handles of the weapons, had long been decomposed, and 
mixed with the common earth." 

James Cook, a celebrated English navigator, was bora 
on the 27th of October, 172S, at Marton, in Yorkshire. 



160 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1779. 

His father was an agricultural labourer, or farm servant. 
His mother's christian name was Grace ; and he was 
one of nine ch Idren. Before Cook was thirteen years 
old, he was apprenticed to a haberdasher at Staiths, 
near Yfhitby, but the daily sight of vessels and the 
converyatiou of scameii, so filled his mind with a desire 
to become a sailor, that he obtained his discharge from 
the sho}) and bound himself for seven years to John and 
Henry Walker, of Whitby, who were extensively en- 
gaged in the coal trade. After the expiration of his 
marine apprenticeship, he continued to serve as a com- 
mon sailor in the coasting trade. During all this period, 
he was very assiduous in the study of his profession, 
having, without a master, acquired such a knowledge 
of mathematics and astronomy, as to enable him subse- 
quently to make three voyages round the globe. In. 
1768 Gook was recommended to government as a fit 
person to undertake an expedition to the South Sea. 
He was appointed to command the expedition with the 
rank of a lieutenant in the royal navy, his commission 
bearing date the 25th of May, 1768. In this first voyage 
he was accompanied by Mr. (afterwards Sir Joseph) 
Banks and Dr. Solandcr, as naturalists and students of 
life and manners, and b}- Mr. Green, the astronomer. 
The object of the expedition was to observe at Otaheite 
the passage of Venus over the Sun's disk. In this 
voyage he recognised the coasts of New Zealand, and 
discovered the strait which divides New Zearland into 
two islands. — (Cook's strait) In the second voyage 
which he made in 1772, and which lasted three years, 
he had for his task to verify the existence of x^ustralian 
lands. Having advanced as far as 71 deg. of south 
latitude, he satisfied himself that there existed no land 
of any great extent in these regions. In his course he 
discovered New Caledonia. In 1776 he undertook a third 
voyage in order to ascertain if there existed a commu- 
nication between Europe and Asia, by the north of 
America. He made the circuit of the new world, gained 
the north-west of America, and attem^^ted to pass into 
Hudson's bay through Bering's straits ; but was com- 
pelled to give up the undertaking in consequence of 
the advanced season. Cook steered southward with a 
design of wintering among the Sandwich islands, and 
returning to Kamschatka the following spring. It was 
on the 30th of November, 1778, Ihat he discovered the fatal 
Owhyhee. Several weeks elapsed in sailing round and 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 161 

1779. -1/81. 

examining- its coasts. On the ITtli January, 1779, he 
anchored in Karakatooa bay, where occurred the quarrel 
in which he perished. A chieftain of rank was shot by 
the crew of an English boat, and in revenge, the captain 
was attacked on all sides. His men strove in vain to 
assist him, but they were overpowered by numbers ; he 
was stabbed in the back and fell. His life is his char- 
acter and panegyric : it ceased abruptly, but it will 

never be forgotten. Jan. IGth. Admiral Sir George 

Rodney took twenty-two sail of Spanish ships, defeating 
their fleet, near Cape St. Vincent, and on the 12th of 
April, 17S2, obtained a signal victoiy over the French 
fleet. In December, this year, a press gang com- 
menced operations in Leeds, and seized a cropper named 
John Baldwin. He was so affected by the occurrence 
that he afterwards hanged himself 

1780. Leeds and the neighbouring towns were illumina- 
ted on the taking of Charlestown, June 19th. On 

^Vednesday, Sep. 27th, Sir George Savile and Henry Dun- 
combe, Esq., were returned members for the county of 
York without opposition. A slight shock of an earth- 
quake was felt in Leeds, Dec. 9th. 

John Fothergill, a physician, died this year, and was 
born at Carr-end, in Yorkshire, in 1712. His parents were 
quakers, and he was put apprentice to an apothecary of that 
denomination at Bradford. He studied tvi^o years under 
Sir Edward ^Vilmot, at St. Thomas's hospital; after which 
he visited the continent, returned, and then settled in 
London, where he became a licentiate of the college. He 
was at Edinburgh, where he took his doctor's degree. 
Became a member of the Royal Antiquarian Society. He 
acquired a large fortune, of which he made good use. 

I7S1. The Yor/v J/ma?ii(eZ established about this time, for 
the benefit of ministers, either members of the Church of 
England or Dissenters, and the wives, Vsadows, and 
children of ministers, in any part of Ihe kingdom. The 
capital of this institution at the period oF the com- 
missioner's survey, amounted to £12,400 three per cent. 

consols. The following observations on the view from 

Bramham moor, were made by John Watson, Esq., of 
Malton, in this year : — " Upon the middle of this moor, a 
man may see for ten miles around him ; v/ithin those ten 
miles there is as much free- stone as would build ten cities, 
each as large as York ; within those ten miles there is as 
much good oak timber as would build those ten cities; 
there is as much limestone and coal to burn it into lime as 



162 ANNALS OF LEEDI^, YORK, AND 

1781.-1782. 

the building of those ten cities would require; there is 
also as much clay and sand and coals to burn them into 
bricks and tiles as would build those ten cities ; within 
those ten miles there are two iron forges, sufficient for 
those ten cities, and 10,000 fodders to spare ; within those 
ten miles there is a good coal seam sufficient to furnish 
those ten cities with tiring for 10,000 years ; within those 
ten miles there are three navigable rivers, from any of 
which a man may take shipping, and sail to any part of 
the world ; within those ten miles there are seventy gentle- 
m nil's liouses, all keeping coaches, and the least of them 
;ui enquire, and ten parks and forests well stocked with 
deer ; within those ten miles there are ten market towns, 
one of which may be supposed to return £10,000 per 
week." 
Captain Donnellan was executed at York for the murder 

of Theodosius Boughton. Wm. Meek Meyer, Esq., 

tried at York for the murder of Joseph Spink, (a bailiff's 
assistant), and found guilty on the 20th March ; respited 
until the 29th, and further until the 6th of April, when he 

was executed at Tyburn, near York. April 10th. A 

large meteor passed over Horsforth, emitting a heat equal 

to that of summer A Torque, or ancient British chain 

of gold, was found at Rawden, near Leeds, worth sixteen 

guineas. From the 25th of March, 1780, to the same 

date,- 1781, 98,721 pieces of narrow and 102,018 pieces of 
broad cloth were made in the West-Biding of Yorkshire, 
being an increase in the former of 1 1,412, and of the latter 
of 7,393 pieces above the quantity made the year before. 
An extraordinary crop of oats this year, one stalk 

plucked at Lower Wortley contained 520 corns. On 

Feb. 20th, was born at Keighley, Isaac Batterfield, who, 
at the age of twenty months, was three feet in height, and 
weighed nearly eight stone ! He was exhibited as a 
gigantic child at Spring Gardens, London, where he died 
Feb. 1st, 1783. 

1782. A slip from the Glastonbury Thorn, planted at 
Bir.-^tal twenty years previously, is stated to have bud- 
ded on old Christmas day this year, the v/eather being 
remarkably v/arm for the season. Respecting the original 
thorn, tradition says, that Joseph, of Arimathea, preach- 
ing at Glastonbury on a Christmas day, spoke of the ' 
birth of Christ, which his hearers, being backward in 
believing, he proposed to strike his staff into the ground, 
as a test of the truth of what he had related, when it 
immediately put forth buds and blossoms. The Leeds 



THE SURKOJNDING DISTRICT. 163 

1782. 

Mercury, Jau. loth, contains a cauiionar}' advertisement, 
stating that considerable quantities of tobacco had been 
grown in the previous year about York, contrary to an 

act of the 15th of Charles JI. Died in Feb., the 

Rev. James Scott, M.A., vicar of Bardsey, and fifty-five 
years minister of Trinity church, in Leeds. He was 
nephew to its munificent benefactor, the Rev. Henry 

Robinson. March 17th. The Rev. Jonathan Colton, 

curate of Headingley, destroyed himself b}' cutting his 
throat and then leaping into the river Aire. 

In March, this year, a man named Frank Fern was 
gibbeted on Iloxley edge, near Sheffield, for the murder 
of Natlian Andrews, a respectable watchmaker. 

Mashorough, about half- a mile from Rotherham, of 
which it forms part of the suburbs, is a place of con- 
siderable importance, and has long been distinguished 
as the seat of numerous works connected with the 
manufactures of the district, whereof, a few years since, 
the principal were the extensive foundry of iron works 
of the late Samuel Walker, Esq. The history of this 
worthy and enterprising man is short but instructive. 
At twelve years of age, he was left an orphan, with 
two brothers and four sisters, without property, and 
almost without education. His industry and talents, 
however, soon supplied these deiiciencies, and qualified 
him for keeping a school. He afterwards, in conjunction 
with his brothers, established a small foundry, which, 
under his fostering genius, became one of the most ex- 
tensive and flourishing of the kind in Europe. He died 
on the 12th of May, 17S2, in the 66th year of his age, 
rich in property, and abounding in Christian virtue. At 
these great iron works, there were manufactured, during 
the wars with America and France, immense quantities 
of cannon of the largest calibre, and almost every kind 
of cast-iron articles, as well as many of wrought iron. 
The large iron bridges of Sunderland, Yarm, and Staines, 
and also Southwark bridge, London, were cast here. 
The Walkers commenced a bank in Sheffield and Roth- 
erham in 1792, but in 1S36, it was traiisferred to a 
Joint Stock Company. 

April 11th, died at Bath, William Denison, Esq., a 
merchant of Leeds, where for some years he was a 
great benefactor to the poor. He died worth half a 

million of money. In May, the earl of Sherburn, 

one of the secretaries of state, sent a letter to the 
mayor of Leeds, recommending an associatiou of young 



164 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1782.-1784. 

men to be formed in that town, for the purpose of 

learning- the military exercise. A corps of volunteers 

was soon raised. ^On the 12th of October, the 51st, 

or 2nd West York regiment of foot, commanded by the 
earl of Eg-lintoun, arrived in Leeds from Minorca, in 
the celebrated defence of which they had been honour- 
abl};- engaged. 

17S3. About the month of June in this year, the 
distress of the people was very great at Bradford, 
Halifax, Huddersfield, and Rochdale ; riotous mobs de- 
manded an immediate reduction in the price of corn, 
and on the market days, they compelled the dealers to 
sell at such prices as they chose to lix ; but at Halifax, 
they robbed the farmers both of corn and meal, for 
which offence two of the ringleaders, Thomas Spencer 
and Mark Saltonstall, were executed on Beacon hill, 

which overlooks the town of Halifax I'he price of 

wheat in Leeds market at this time was 7s. 6d. per 

bushel. Sir George Armitage, of Kirklees hall, died 

January 21st. The house and warehouse of Mr. 

Fisher, of Meadow-lane, Leeds, was destroyed by fire, 

February 6th. A cessation of arms proclaimed at 

Leeds, between England, Spain, and America, on March 

4th. Sir George Savile's 1st battalion of the West 

York Militia was disembodied, after five years service, 

on March 15th. On the 30th of August died the 

Rev. James Sykes, A.M., thirty years vicar of Bradford. 
March 5th. The Hon. Francis Rawdon was created 
baron Rawdon by patent this year, and earl Rawdon in 
1816. 

1784:. A meeting of the freeholders of the county of 
York, was held at the castle, January 1st, to petition 

for parliamentary reform. March 25th. Another 

county meeting was held at York castle, to address his 
majesty on the distracted state of public affairs, and 
advise the dissolution of parliament, which took place 
in the following month. 

In this year, Sunday schools became general in Leeds 

and the neighbouring towns. During a rapid thav^ 

in winter, after a long frost, the waters of the Ouse 

inundated all the lower streets of York. Dr. Samuel 

Johnson, the celebrated English lexicographer, died Sep. 

18th, in this year. Jan. 1st. Francis Ferrand Ful- 

jambe was returned as member for Yorkshire in the 
place of Sir George Saville, resigned. About a fortnight 
after the election. Sir George Saville died at his house. 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 165 

I784.-1786. 
in Brompton's- row, near London, in the 5Sth year of 

his age. A general election took place in April, 

this year. On the 2nd of April, Francis Ferrand Ful- 
jambe, William Weddal, Henry Buncombe, and William 
Wilberforce, were nominated for the county of York, 
but the two former declined the contest on the evening 
before the election. The tirst practical idea of ap- 
plying steam power to wheeled carriages is due to Dr. 
Kobison, by whom it was communicated to Watt in 
17.^9. The latter afterwards made a model of a high- 
pressure locomotive, and described its principle in his 
fourth patent in IJS-i, which among certain improve- 
ments, specified a portable steam-engine and machinery 
for moving Avheel-carriages. 

17S5. The Rev. Mr. Edwards, founder of the Indepen- 
dents, in Leeds, died Feb. 17th, this year, aged 71- He 
was a man of very respectable abilities, of fervent piety, 
and of great theological knowledge, and his method of 
preaching was distinguished by perspicuity and elo- 
quence. The place in which he preached was the Old 
White Chapel, near the South market, Hunslet-lane, now 
entirely abandoned as a place of worship, in a situa- 
tion, j)erhaps the least eligible which could be found' 
in the town, surrounded b}' houses, and in an unwhole- 
some atmosphere. 

Feb. 10th. A great county meeting was held at the 
castle of York, to petition for parliamentary reform. 

1783. Wortley Chapel of Ease, near Leeds, though built 
about this time, was not consecrated and brought under 

episcopal jurisdiction till 1813. Lunardi, the first 

aeronaut in Britain, ascended in his balloon from the area 
of the White Cloth Hall, in Leeds, on December 4th, and, 
after remaining in the air about forty minutes, descended 

at Thorparch. In August, this year, an attempt was 

made upon the life of George III., by an insane Avoman, 
named Margaret Nicholson, wljo, under the pretence of 
presenting a petition, struck at him v ith a knife, as he was 
alighting from his carriage at SL James's palace. The 
blow was warded ofr by a page, and the woman seized. 
She was afterwards confined during life. 

"On the Thursday in Whitsun week, 1783," says 
Scratchard, " there was a dreadful storm of thunder and 
lightning, which, in its course over Batley, struck the south 
east pinnaclp of the church toAver, about five o'c'ock in the 
evening. The inconceivable pov.er of the electric fluid has 
seldom been more conspicuous than it was in this instance. 



166 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 
1^86.- 1787'. 

The finial of the pinnacle rested upon four stones, each 
weighing (upon an average), 112 pounds. These Avere 
driven away in different directions, so suddenly, and 
so wonderfully, that the hnial, as if unaffected by 
the shock, never lost its perpendicular, but was actually 
found resting upon the course of stone below, as 
though it had been set thereon by the original builders. 
The stricken four stones were cast as follows, viz.: — 
one upon an old barn below the vicarage, one upon 
the stone steps on the south side of the burial ground, 
(next upper Batley), which it broke ; one into another 
part of the ground ; and one fell upon the church. 
This account I have from several very creditable persons 
still living, and it induces me to mention a similar wonder, 
equally well authenticated, which occurred at Harewood, a 
few years ago. 

" A very Avorthy person, one George Favvcett, a hatter, at 
at Birsta!, Avhom I well knew, especially as an excellent 
singer, happened to call at Harewood for payment of a bill 
when a thunder storm came on. A number of sovereigns were 
laid, with notes, upon a table, when an awful flash alarmed 
the reckoners, and caused them to retire. Upon re-approach- 
ing the money, it Avas discovered that a guinea or a sovereign 
was gone, and it occasioned some explanation, Fawcett 
denying that he had touched the cash, and his customer 
averring that he had counted it out and left it. The former, 
I believe, with his usual generosity, good temper, and for- 
bearance, gave up the point, and the other had no qualm of 
conscience; for, upon reaching dov/n the candle snuffers, 
the same evening, Avhich hung upon a nail, the good house- 
wife discovered them to be almost as finely gilded, as 
though a working goldsmith had done the job. These 
snuffers so gilded, are, I understand, still shown at Hare- 
wood. An equal astonishment was once excited at Hors- 
forth, but I forget the particulars." 

1787. The carpet weavers of Leeds, after a " turn-out " 
of several weeks, obtained an advance of wages in January, 
during which month robberies of the most daring and alarm- 
ing description Avere perpetrated in that toAvn and neigh- 
bourhood. On the 14th of Februarj?-, died Lier White- 
head, of Bramham, a celebrated runner, in his 98th year. 

On the 27th of March was tried at York, the Leeds Soke 
Cause, Avhich terminated in the exemption from suit and 
service at the King's Mills, of all the tenants of the manor 
of Whitkirk-cum-Membris, which belonged to the dissolved 
monastery of St. John of Jerusalem. Mr. John Peart, the 



THE SURROU^'DING DISTRICT. 167 

I787.-I7S8. 
defendant in this trial, gained a signal victory over the 

miller. At a meeting in the Rotation Office, at Leeds, 

it Avas resolved that no new "alehouse licenses" should be 
granted in the borough, until the " present number be 
greatly diminished." Similar resolutions were passed at 

other places ''for the suppression of vice." Crispin 

Scarlet, who had murdered a washerwoman at Leeds, 
evaded the galloAA's b}' cutting his throat in York caslle, 

May •29th. June 16th, 3Ir. Samuel Gawthorpe, treasurer 

of the Leeds workhouse, received in August two mysterious 
letters from an unknown writer, demanding £50 to be left 
in a certain place b}' a certain time, threatening him if he 
shouldnot comply (which he didnot) vrithsome dreadful ven- 
geance on himself and family. Though a re^vard of £40 was 
offered in the London Gazette, the offender was never dis- 
covered. On the 10th of October, a nev*^ peal of eight 

bells was opened at Halifax. Edmund Barker, of 

Thorne, was committed for three months to York castle, 
for exporting ninety tods of wool from Gondii) 1, in Lincoln- 
shire to Dunkirk, in France, besides forfeiting all his goods 
and chattels, and 3s. for every pound weight of wool so ex- 
ported, amounting to £378. 

1788. On the 15th of April, this year, the Court of King's 
Bench determined that a Avoman was competent to serve 

the office of overseer lor the poor. Commodore Phillips 

arrived at Botany bay, from England, vv'ith the first convicts: 
on landing he assumed the office of governor of the new 

settlement. Three Sweedish ships were seized at Hull, 

"for smuggling wool out of the kingdom ; " for some time 

they had taken out 1300 packs annuallj^ In January, 

the philanthropic ISlr. HoAvard, after visiting the principal 
lazarettos and prisons of Europe, and the coasts of Asia 
and Egypt, arrived in Leeds, where he inspected the infir- 
mary, the workhouse, and the prison, and expressed himself 
highly pleased with the tAvo former. 

Many political meetings AA-ere held at Leeds this year for 
reform and the abolition of slaA-ery, and on July 1st, there 
were great rejoicings, and a grand procession of AA'orkmen 
as a testimon}' of gratitude for the passing of the bill to 
preA'ent the exportation of liA^e sheep and wool, in Avhich 
the French had encouraged an illicit trade, for the purpose 
of robbing the English clothier of his staple. A speech, 
written for the occasion, and delivered by a A\'oolcomber on 
horseback, at the head of the procession, concluded with 
" may we neA-er A\^ant a Pitt for the French to fall into! " 

The iron Avorks in the neighbourhood of Bradford are 



168 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1788-1789. 

miiversally known. The manor of Eoyds hall, together 
with the minerals under the estate, was pm-chased from the 
last proprietor in 1788, by the ancestors of Messrs. Hird, 
Dawson, and Hardy, who originally established the cele- 
brated Low Moor Iron and Coal ^Vorks, novv- the most im- 
portant in the north of England. The works comprise 
furnaces, forges, tilts, and mills, on a ver}^ extensive scale, 
both for the manufacture of pig and bar iron, and for rolling 
and slitting it into sheets, bars, and rods, with foundries 
for the casting of cannon and ordnance of all kinds, in 
which several steam engines of great power are also em- 
ployed. In addition to these, boilers for steam engines, 
sugar pans for the East and West Indies, water pipes of, 
large calibre, and castings of every kind are manufactured, 
in which more than 2000 persons are employed day aiid 
night. The Bierley Iron Y/orks were commenced in 1810, 
by Henry Leah and James Marshall, Esqrs. These n\ orks, 
conducted on an extensive scale, are confined solely to the 
manufacture of pig iron, which, being the produce of ore 
from the same mine, is equal in quality with that of the 
Low Moor. At Bowling, the substratum abounds with coal 
and iron ore, which have been wrought for more than half 
a century by the Bowling Iron Company, whose works are 
very extensive. The accumiiaated heaps of refuse from the 
mines, forming huge moundl surrounding the excavations, 
have been planted with treeg, which adds greatly to the 
aspect of the neighbourhood^ 

In October, the duke of Lefds gave £100, and Mr. Ridsdale 
£500, towards building a n(^v churcli at Wakefield. 

In November, the centenary of the "glorious Revolution" 
was honoured at Leeds v/ith every demonstration of public 
joy, and, amongst a brilliant assembly of near 300 ladies 
and gentlemen, v/ere present earl Fitzwilliam, lord Scar- 
borough, and other distinguished personages. 

1789. About the year 1709, a piece of land, containing five 
acres, v/as enclosed from Bramley-Common, and conveyed to 
trustees, upon trust, that they should apply the rents 
towards the better support and maintenance of the poor 
of Bramley. The rents were applied for a great length of 
time to the support of a free- school, and, on the enclosure 
of the common in 1789, an allotment of two acres, twenty 
perches, was awarded in respect of Bramlej/' school, to be 
applied to such uses as the ancient school-land was intended 
to be. On the enclosure of the commons of Bramley, four 
allotments, containing nine acres, three roods, twenty- 
eight perches, were awarded to the curate, churchwardens, 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 169 

1789. 

and overseers, " upon trust, to applj" the rents for the 
benefit of such inhabitants -within the township as belong 
thereto, but do not receive relief from the poor assessments, 
and do not occupy any land or tenements of more than the 
yearly value of £5, and who have no allotment under the 
enclosure act." The rent of this land, £34. 5s. per annum, 
is laid out in the purchase of cloth for shirting, which is 
distributed among the poor people on St. Thomas's day. 
Also, on the enclosure of the common, an allotment of six 
perches of land, on which a dwelling-house and buildings 
■were erected, was awarded to the curate, churchwardens, 
and overseers, the rents to be applied for teaching poor 
girls. These premises are let at the yearly rent of £6, 
being the fair annual value ; and the rent is paid to a 
schoolmistress for teaching six girls to read, knit, and sew. 
There being a trifling accumulation, it has been regularly 
applied to the payiug of £3 a year for teaching three addi- 
tional girls, until the fund shall be exhausted. Benjamin 
Green left £10, the interest to be paid on the 25th of 
March, for a charity sermon to be preached on that day. 
This sum remains in the hands of the perpetual curate of 
Bramley for the time being. William Clough, in 1710, 
devised one-third part of seven closes in Bramley, called 
the West Royds, to the poor, the rent to be distributed at 
the discretion of four trustees. The three closes are now 
comprised in one, containing six acres two roods, and the 
yearly rent, amounting to £18, is distributed among the 
poor of the township, in small sums varying from 3s. to 
6s. 6d. 

In January, subscriptions were opened in most of the 
towns of the West Riding, for the relief of the numerous 
distressed poor; — about Wal^efield highway robberies were 

so frequent as to create a general alarm. On March 

16th there were great rejoicings in Leeds and the sur- 
rounding villages, for the recovery of George III. from 
severe mental indisposition : fat oxen and sheep were 
roasted in various places, and with '• oceans " of ale and 
punch were given to the joyful populace. The night was 
enlivened with bonfires and illuminated windows ; but the 
people of Horbury, as a more useful and lasting testimony 
of their loyalty and gladness, erected a Sunday school for 

the benefit of their township. In May, a curious gold 

ring, weighing more than an ounce, was found on Towton 
field, near Tadcaster, where it is supposed to have fallen 
from the finger of a slain chief, in the memorable battle 
fought there between the houses of Lancaster and York. 

15 



170 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 
1789.-1790. 

The prince of "Wales and duke of York were present at 
York races, and visited Wentworth house, where a grand 
entertainment was given to the royal brothers, and 700 
nobility and gentry, who banqueted in sight of 40,000 
spectators assembled in front of the house. Previously to 
leaving the city of York, the princes ordered lieutenant- 
colonel St. Leger to pay into the hands of Walter Fawkes, 
Esq., then high sheriff of the county, 200 guineas for the 
relief of debtors in the castle. The}'- also gave twenty 
guineas to the gaol, in order to clothe some female con- 
victs under sentence of transportation ; they discharged 
the debts of three prisoners in Ouse bridge gaol, and per- 
formed several other acts of charity. In November, 

a beautiful statue, in memory of Sir George Savile, bart., 
who died in 17S4, was erected in York minster, at the ex- 
pense of his constituents, whom he had faithfully served 
in five successive parliaments. In this year com- 
menced the French revolution. At first the proceedings 
of the French were justified by the principal leaders of 
opposition in the English parliament and by a numerous 
class of the community ; but, ere long, the violence shown 
at the destruction of the Bastile, the abolition of heredi- 
tary privileges, the open disrespect for religion^ and other 
symptoms of an extravagant spirit, produced a consider- 
able change in the sentiments of the British people. The 
coalition of Austria and Prussia with the fugitive noblesse, 
having excited the spirit of the French people to a species 
of frenzy, and led to the establishment of a Republic, and 
the death of the king, the British government were roused 
to a sense of danger which hung over all ancient institu- 
tions, and found a pretext for declaring war against France 
in January, 1793. 

1790. On the 5th of February, in his 70th year, at Ribton, 
near Otley, died Joseph Holmes, pojmlarly called Joe 
Bogue, a begging miser, who died worth £550, never having, 
during his whole life, spent one farthing for food or 

raiment. Horbury church, near "Wakefield, was built 

this year, at the sole expense of alderman Carr, of York. 

The noted wiseman of Romalds moor, near Keighley, 
was consulted professionally by the Kendal and Penrith 
carrier, who made a pilgrimage to this popular soothsayer, 
in order to detect a thief, who had robbed his waggon. 
Having asked his question, and paid his offering, he was 
dismissed with this consolatory assurance, that, " if the 
thief did not restore the property before a certain day, it 
should be worse for Jhim,."" The carrier's report of these 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. I7l 

1790. 

oracular words had a wonderful effect, and, as it happened, 
a beneficial result with his credulous neighbours, lor be- 
lieving that the Seer would, certainly raise the devil, to 
revenge the wronged, and that Satan, vexed at being dis- 
turbed for such a trifle, might probably raise the wind, in 
his fury, they prevented their thatched roofs from being 
torn off their houses, b}'- placing upon them harrows and 
other heavy articles. Early in the day fixed for the resti- 
tution, namely, March 25th, a casual hurricane took place, 
that did much damage, and served to increase the high 
opinion previously entertained of " Wise Robin of Bomald's 

moor.'" In .November, as some workmen were digging 

clay in a field in Leeds, now occupied by part of George- 
street, they discovered about fift}^ oak coffins, containing 
human bones, supposed to have lain there since 1672, when 
the plague raged, and the parish register says, " 1,400 
persons were buried in the Vicar's croft and crofts ad- 
joining :" the colfi.ns were quite fresh, but the bodies were 

reduced to dust. In December, the snow was a yard 

deep. 

John Howard, a celebrated English philanthropist, born 
m 1726, the son of an upholsterer, who left him a fortune. 
Having been made prisoner on the sea, and held for some 
time in captivity, he was so moved by the condition of 
prisoners, that he resolved to consecrate his life to their 
service and relief. He travelled over nearly all Europe, 
everywhere visiting the prisons, lazarettos, and hospitals, 
in order to discover means for abating their insalubrity, 
and to extend to their inmates the most effectual atten- 
tions. He died in 1790 of a malignant fever, which he 
caught at Kherson, in Russia, while visiting a sick person. 
His fellow-countrymen erected a statue in his honour. 

After a sudden thaw and heavy rain, the Aire and other 
rivers rose higher than they had ever done since the mem- 
orable flood of 1775, when several bridges were destroyed. 
In the flood this year, Mr. Giiyard's dyehouse, on Sheepscar 
beck, near Leeds, was washed away, with a large quantity 

of cloth. The Leeds Benevolent or Strangers' Friend 

Society, was founded this year, and is an extensively useful 
and beneficial institution, and entitled to the good wishes 
of all classes. Its object is the relief of the distressed, 
the friendless, and the strangers of all denominations, who 
are suffering from poverty or disease. The objects of pity 
recommended to this society are visited and reported to 
the committee before receiving relief. The applicants 
average about 1,000 annually. The society is wholly sup- 



172 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 
I79O.-I79I. 

ported by annual subscriptions, voluntary donations, and 
public collections. The well-known tune called Don- 
caster was composed this year by Dr. Edward Miller, for 
51 years organist of Doncaster church, but better known 
as the Author of the History mid Antiquities of Doncaster. 

Henry Duncombe and William Wilberforce were re- 
turned for Yorkshire without opposition. In this 

year the act of parliament of the 30th Geo. III. cap. 68, 
was passed, entitled " an act for better supplying- the 
town and neighbourhood of Leeds, in the county of York, 
with water ; and for more effec tually lighting and cleansing 
the streets and other places within the said town and 
neighbourhood, and removing and preventing nuisances, 
annoyances, encroachments, and obstructions therein." 

When the act for the water-works was obtained, (1790) 
it extended the provisions of the former act for lighting, 
&c., to those parts of the town which had hitherto re- 
mained without the privilege of nocturnal lights, and to 
the distance of a thousand yards from the bars. The 
superintendance of the whole system of lighting, was 
vested in the commissioners of the water-works. 

1791. On January 24th, died that eminent Leeds merchant 

and alderman, Joseph Fountaine, Esq. Ann Green, 

a pauper, of Sprotbro', but a native of Kirkheaton, died 

March 6th, at the advanced age of 118 years. For 

two hours on the 15th of August, a most dreadful storm 
of thunder and lightning prevailed, which destroyed a 
house at Fewston, set lire to the furze on Sicklinhall moor, 
deprived a girl of sight at Barnsley, killed a boy at Wake- 
field, and burnt down a hayrick and cottage at Summer- 
scales, near Skip ton. On August 22nd, the Right 

Hon. Charles James Fox, accompanied by earl Fitzwilliam, 
arrived at York, where he was presented with the free- 
dom of the city in a gold box worth fifty guineas. 

The first stone of St. Paul's church. Park-square, in 
Leeds, was laid September 26th, by Dr. Wilson, the bishop 
of Bristol, who had previousl}'' presented to the founder, 
the Rev. Miles Atkinson, the ground upon which it is built. 
The church was consecrated b}^ Dr. Markham, archbishop 
of York, September 10th, 1793. The style of architecture 
is Grecian. The east and west ends display four pilasters 
of the Ionic order, supporting their respective entablature 
and pediment ; a light square tower also rises at the west 
end, decorated by vases and Ionic windows. The whole 
is surmounted with a dome, finishing in a ball and cross. 
The interior is neatly fitted with a gallery extending round 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 173 

1791. 

the eutire edifice. A good toned organ was erected in 
ISOl, by subscription. The church cost £10,000, and con- 
tains 1,500 sittings. The perpetual curacy, valued at £133, 
is in the gift of the vicar. The Rev. J. R. Stratton, M.A., is 

the incumbent. Salem chapel, Hunslet-Iane, occupied 

by the Independents or Congregationalists, was erected 
this year, and is the oldest chapel in the town belonging 
to this body of Christians. It is a substantial stone 
structure. The exterior is rusticated, with the facade 
terminating in a pediment and balustrade : the lower win- 
dows are large, and have circular heads, the upper ones 
smaller, and square. The gallery runs along three sides 
of the chapel, with seats for about 1,000 persons. The 
Rev. Edward Parsons was formerly minister at this chapel : 
the present minister is the Rev. W. Hudswell. 

John Berkenhout was born at Leeds, and intended for 
the mercantile profession, which he quitted, and entered 
into the military service of Prussia, and next into that of 
England. In 1760 he went to Edinburgh, and studied 
physic ; but took his doctor's degree at Leyden, in 1765. 
Attended the British commissioners to America in 1778, 
and, on his return, obtained a pension. His works, pub- 
lished at different times, on history, literature, biography, 
medicine, and chemistry, comprise nineteen volumes. He 
died this year, in the 60th year of his age. 

In this year much discontent prevailed amongst the 
working classes of Sheffield ; for in July, the doors 
and windows of the gaol, in King-street, were des- 
troyed by a riotous mob, who liberated the prisoners, and 
afterwards proceeded to Broomhall, the residence of the 
vicar, (the Rev. James Yfilkinson), where they damaged 
the library and furniture, and burnt down ricks of hay. 
On this charge, five men were apprehended, and one of 
them named John Bennett, was executed at York, in Sep- 
tember. In the same month. Dr. Graham delivered a 
lecture at the Tontine, on the efficacy of " earth-bathing," 
and afterwards exhibited himself and a female patient 
" buried up to the lips in earth, in the garden of Mr. Bet, 
at the Elephant ! " 

John Wesley, son of Samuel Wesley, was born at Ep- 
worth, in 1703. He was a scholar of the Charter house, 
and thence went to Christchurch college, Oxford. In 1724 
he was elected a Fellow of Lincoln college, was made 
Greek lecturer, and took pupils. In the following year he 
was ordained. Wesley was noted for his classical learning, 
his skill in argument, and his poetical powers. In 1729, 



174 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1791. 

having been led to serious reflection by reading some re- 
ligious works, he formed a society of 15 persons, who met 
together to read the scripture and to pray. They em- 
ployed their time in visiting the poor, and other good 
works, without loosing a moment of the day. This mode 
of life gained for them the name of Methodists, and the 
appellation which had been given them in derision they 
retained. Another authority says, that they were first 
called '■^Methodists'" by a member of the University of 
Cambridge, who gave them that name after some surgeons 
at Rome, who were styled " Methodisto," from placing 
their patients under a peculiar regimen. In 1735 John 
Wesley and his brother Charles accompanied some other 
missionaries to Georgia, where they remained for some 
time preaching the gospel. "When he returned to England, 
he began to imagine that he himself had never been 
converted. According to his own account, his conver- 
sion took place suddenly, May 24th, 1738, at a quarter 
before nine in the evening. Soon after this he visited 
the Moravian brethren in Germany, and became ac- 
quainted with their system and organisation. On his 
return, in the autumn of 1738, he began the foundation 
of the Methodist society. He employed his time in ex- 
hortation and preaching, and soon collected a large 
number of followers. He then formed a connection with 
Whitefield, and joined him in Bristol, where a Methodist 
meeting-house was erected in 1739. The friendship be- 
tween the two preachers did not, however, last long, and 
their separation was followed by the disunion of the 
bodies to which they belonged. Wesley now arranged 
the government and system of Methodism. He was fond 
of power, and would share it with no one. He was 
exceedingly zealous, diligent, and energetic. Besides ex- 
hortations, he would preach twice, and even four or 
five times every day. He travelled a great deal, and 
was unremitting in his labours till within a week of 
his death. His style, both in preaching and writing, 
was clear and dispassionate; he was agreeable in his 
manners, and mild and grave in his appearance. This 
extraordinary man died March 2nd, 1791, in the 88th 
year of his age. Besides his pulpit labours, he wrote a 
great number of works on religious and other subjects. 
The corporation of York this year suspended their 
toll on corn, for the purpose of trying whether the re- 
moval of that impost would improve the market of the 
city. May 6th. In the course of an angry debate 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 175 

I79I.-I792. 

on the French revolution in the House of Commons, 
Mr. Burke rushed from the side of Mr. Fox, to the Min- 
isterial benches, declaring his final secession from the 
opposition, and that his friendship for Mr. Fox was at 

an end. April 10th. Died at Hackney, aged 6S 

years, Dr. Richard Price, F.R.S., a man well known for 

his writings and political opinions. September 29th. 

Frederick, second son to George III., and the eleventh 
duke of York, was married at Berlin, to the princess 
Frederica, daughter of the king of Prussia. 

Dec. 21st. The buckle makers of Birmingham sent a 
deputation to the prince of Wales to represent their 
distressed situation, in consequence of the prevailing 
fashion of wearing shoe strings instead of buckles. 

1792. On Feb. 2.5th, the shock of an earthquake was felt 
at Doncaster, and on the coasts of Yorkshire and Lincoln- 
shire.- On April 14th, were executed at York, John 

Lucas, and Thomas Stearman, of Leeds, for burglary, and 
Spence Broughtou, of Sheffield, for robbing the Rotherham 
postman, on Attercliife common, where his body was hung 
in chains ; the gibbet post remained till 1827. 

The French nation renounced conquests as the object of 

their wars. The Methodist preachers of the Leeds, 

■\Vakefield, and Sheffield, Bradford, Birstal, Devrsbury, and 
Otley circuits, met at Leeds, in May, and resolved, "not 
to separate from the church." In the following year, 
the subject again came before the Conference held in Leeds, 
when it was resolved by the preachers, that their societies 
should still remain members of the established church, and 
that the sacrament should not be administered by their 
preachers, " except ^A'here the whole society is unanimous 
for it, and will not be contented without it," and then 
only in the evening, " and according to the forms of the 
church of England." In July, Foster Powell, the pedes- 
trian, in his 08th year, v*^alked from London to York and 
back, (394 miles) in five days and 13 i^ hours. 

This 3' ear at the Lewes wool fair^ the price of ivool was 
from .56s. to 65s. per tod of 321bs. 

That cruel sport. Bull Baitmg, was very prevalent at this 
period, though greatly deprecated by the Leeds journalists, 
one of whom, after describing a grand " Boaratorio,'' at 
Rochdale, where 5,000 people witnessed a bull baited, a 
whole day, in the middle of the river, says, " surely the 
amateurs of such inhuman amusements want nothing but 
hoofs and horns to make them far more beastly than the 
wretched animals they torture." At Birstal feast, this year, 



176 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1792. 

the enraged Taurus broke the rope that held him to the 

stake, and pursued several of his inhuman torturers into 

a brick pond, where they deservedly got a good ducking ; 

having dispersed the crowd of spectators, the poor bull 

was released from further insult. A gang of thieves 

having clandestinely introduced themselves into the draw- 
ing-room at St. James's palace, London, in dress clothes, 
tried to hustle and rob the prince of "Wales. 

Feb. 23rd. Sir Joshua Reynolds, the celebrated painter, died 
in his 66th year. August 10th. Storming of the Tuilleries. 

The inhabitants of most of the towns in Yorkshire met, 
in December, and made public declarations of their firm 
attachment to the constitution and the reigning monarch. 

At Leeds the effigy of Tom Paine, (holding a pair of stays 
in one hand, and his Rights of Man in the other) was carried 
through the streets with a halter round his neck, and (having 
been well whipped and hanged at the market cross) thrown 
into a large bonfire, amidst the shouts of the surrounding 

multitude. ^The Piece Hall at Halifax was first opened 

about the year 1780 ; and the intervening time, from thence 
to the year 1792, or the breaking out of the French war, 
may be regarded as one of the most flourishing eras of the 
worsted trade in Yorkshire. Though the cheapness of 
calicoes as an article of female dress, since the improve- 
ments in the cotton manufacture, materially abridged the 
sale for some kinds of Vv'orsted goods in England, this was 
more than compensated by the increased demand for carpets 
Avith worsted warps, and other articles of luxury, inv/hich 
worsted yarn was employed. 

The demand in foreign markets, from the year 1782 to 
1792, for English worsted goods, greatly exceeded that of 
any former period ; but after the breaking out of the French 
war, the worsted trade at Halifax began to decline. 

About this time the spinning of worsted by machinery 
was established at Bradford, and the vicinity ; and continu- 
ing to increase, drew round that place the manufacturers of 
worsted goods on the decline of the Halifax trade. Brad- 
ford is now the principal seat of the worsted manufacture 
in Yorkshire ; and some of the proprietors of the worsted 
mills, besides supplying the smaller manufacturers with 
yarn, employ a very great number of looms themselves, and 
carry on this branch of trade on a scale of extent never 
before known in the worsted manufacture. 

The worsted manufactory has been the means of increas- 
ing the prosperity and population of the town of Bradford, 
In a manner altogether unprecedented in British history, 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 177 

1792. 

It noAv presents an astonishing- scene of active and success- 
ful industry, its market is one of the greatest in the kingdom , 
and its manufacturers and merchants are distinguished by 
their skill, diligence, and enterprise. The Piece Hall, at 
Bradford, is a tolerably commodious mart for stuffed goods ; 
it is one hundred and forty-four feet long by thirty-six 
broad, and is divided into two apartments — the upper and 
the lower chamber. 

The INIusic Hall, in Albion-street, Leeds, was erected 
in 17^2 ; and the first stone was laid July 2nd. The 
ground floor was for some years occupied as a hall for 
woollen manufactures, especially for blankets, and 
afforded accommodation to those clothiers who were 
excluded from the Cloth halls. -It received, and for 
some time retained, the ignominious appellation of Tom 
Paine's Hall. It is a plain, but commodious building of 
brick, contains four rooms on one floor, reached by steps 
running right and left from the vestibule. The largest 
room is the music saloon, 70 feet by 30, and has an 
orchestra and gallery, with lofty coved ceiling, from 
which several handsome glass chandeliers are suspended. 
The next room in size is the picture gallery, 60 feet 
long, at one end of which is the ante-room, and at the 
other the cabinet, all lighted from the ceiling; the 
three last can be thrown into one suite. In these 
rooms " The northern society for the encouragement of 
the tine arts" held their annual exhibitions for many 
years ; and it would be gratifying to see them again 
used for the same purpose. The principal public meet- 
ings are generally held in the saloon. It has for some 
years back been used for the concerts, under the man- 
agement of " The Leeds Choral and Recreation Societies,'* 
which have been conducted with great spirit and 
success. The hall has considerably diminished in im- 
portance since the erection of the Town hall. 

About this time associations were formed in England, 

for the protection of liberty and property. Feb. 18th. 

The trial of Thomas Paine came on before lord Kenyon 
and a special jury, at Guildhall, for writing and pub- 
lishing a seditious pamphlet, entitled " The second part 
of the rights of man." Mr. Erskine (afterwards lord 
Erskine) was counsel for Mr. Paine. He Avas found 
guilty, but had previously absconded to France, where 
he was elected a member of the Natioual Convention. 

Feb. 19th. The Alien bill was brought into the House 
of Lords by lord Grenville, and read a first time, and. 



178 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

17'92.-1793. 

having gone through the usual forms, it soon passed 

into law. Sir Richard ArhivrigM was born on the 

23rd of December, 1732, at Preston, in Lancashire. He 
was the youngest of a family of thirteen children, and 
his parents were very poor. He was brought up to the 
business of a barber, which he continued to follow until 
he was 35 years of age. In the latter part of the year 
1767, Arkwright became acquainted with a person of 
the name of John Kay, a clockmaker, at Warrington. 
In the following year he and Kay went to Preston, and 
began to construct a machine for the spinning of cotton 
thread, which drew out the cofcton from a coarse to a 
fine and harder twisted thread, so that it was fit to 
be used for warp as well as weft. A Mr. Smaley 
found the capital, and the machine was set to work ; but 
it caused so much dissatisfaction amongst the workers 
on the old plan, that Arkwright deemed it necessary in 
1769 to leave Preston, and fixed himself at Nottingham. 
He then took out a patent for the machine as its in- 
ventor, and by the aid of Messrs. Need and Strut, (who 
became his partners), commenced a spinning mill driven 
by horse power. In 1771 Arkwright and his partners 
established another mill at Cromford, in the parish of 
Wirksworth, in Derbyshire, which was turned by water. 
Here Arkwright formed a complete system of carding 
and roving by machinery, for which, in 1775, he took 
out a second patent. He had much difficulty in de- 
fending his inventions against invasions; but neverthe- 
less, he rapidly made his way to fortune and influence. 
In 1786, when Margaret Nicholson attempted to. as- 
sassinate Geo. III., Arkwright presented an address from 
"Wirksworth, and received the honour of knighthood. In 
the year following he was made high sheriff of Derby- 
shire. Sir Richard Arkwright died at his seat at Crom- 
ford, August 3rd, 1792, leaving property worth at least 
half a million sterling. Arkwright has the merit of so 
improving the mechanical resources of his country, as to 
provide work and subsistence for tens of thousands of 
his fellow men, not only in England, but in many parts 
of the world. 

179 ■'. Jan 17th. The memorable trial of the king of France, 
Louis XVI. terminated ; at the end of which the president 
made the following report, that out of 721 voters,- 336 were 
for death, 319 for imprisonment during the war, two for 
perpetual imprisonment ; eight for a suspension of his execu- 
tion after sentence, until the expulsion of the Bourbon 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 17^ 

1793. 

family ; 23 were not for putting him to death, unless the" 
French territorj'' was invaded by any foreign power ; and 
one was for death, but with commutation of punishment. 
The president then took off his hat, and said, " In con- 
sequence of this, I declare that the punishment pronounced 
by the National Convention against liouis Capet is Death." 
It is worthy of recording, that the duke of Orleans, voted 
for death, while Thomas Paine, the decided foe to regal 
power, more humanely voted for banishment. The unfortu- 
nate monarch, was guillotined at the Place de Louis Quiuze, 
in Paris, since called the Place de la Revolution. The king 
Avas in the 39th year of his age. Oct, 26th., his beautiful and 
ill-fated consort, after a mock trial before the revolutionary 
tribunal, Avas beheaded, and her body interred in the same 
manner with that of her husband, in a grave filled with 
quick lime. Marie Antoinette possessed both talents and 
virtues; but proud, indiscreet, vindicitive, rash, and petu- 
lant, she had exercised a political influence that hastened 
the fall of the monarch}^ It is related of her that when 
laid on the fatal block, she turned her head aside to take a 
last look at the Tuilleries. This accomplished woman, a 
model of grace and beauty, was in her 38th year. 

Nov. 8th. The celebrated Madame Eoland was guillotined. 
This able and accomplished woman died with Roman forti- 
tude, exclaiming on the scaffold, " 0, Liberty ! liow many 

crimes are committed in thy name!'''' New year's day 

■was enlivened at Leeds by a peal of 5,040 changes, rung in 
three hours and twelve minutes at the parish church, by 
eight old men, whose united ages amounted to 577 years^ 
averaging 72 years, the eldest being 82, and the youngest 
65. 

On the 28th January this year the Leeds corporation, at 
a court held on that day, declared by a resolution, "that 
Monopolies are inconsistent vrith the true principles of 
commerce, because they restrain at once the spirit of enter- 
prise and the freedom of competition ; and injurious to the 
countr}^ where the}^ exist, because the Monopolist by fixing 
the rate of both purchase and sale, can oppress the public 
at discretion." This declaration was ordered to be printed 
in the Leeds, Manchester, and Liverpool newspapers. 

Feb. 2Gth. His majesty George III. reviewed three battal- 
ions of guards, being the first division destined against 
France, after the declaration of war ; other branches of the 
royal family attended the review, after which they accom- 
panied the troops to Greenwich, Avhence they embarked for 
the continent, and landed at Helvoet Sluys, in Holland, on 



180 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 
i;93.-i;94. 

the 1st of March, and who, together with our British troops, 
under the command of the duke of York, were engaged for 
the first time in these wars, and suffered severely. The 
action was fought near St. Amand, and was very sanguinary, 
when the French general Dampiere, (who succeeded Dum- 
ourier) was mortally wounded, and expired in the course 
of three days. 

Dec. 19th. Of thirty-one ships of the line, in the har- 
bour of Toulon, nine were burned, and two carried 
away by the British, who evacuted that place with 

precipitation. This year a debating society was 

established at Leeds, for the discussion of literary and 
moral subjects, but the perverse temper of the times to 
everything that wore the aspect of political inquiry 
caused it to droop and die in a few years, and subse- 
quently such institutions amongst the lower classes 
were suppressed by the jealous legislature 

The 1st regiment of West York Militia were em- 
bodied at Wakefield, Feb 11th, and the second regiment 

at York, Feb. 22nd. The first stone of the Leeds 

Catholic chapel, Lady-lane, was laid April 12th, by 
Miss Tancred, of Brampton. The United Methodist Free 
Church have now a chapel erected on the site thereof. 

On the 1st of July, in this year, the price of the 
Leeds newspapers was advanced from 3>^d. to 4d. ; 
the stamp duty was then 2d., the paper )4d., and 
the newsman's commission )^d., so that before this 
advance, there was only J^d. left for printing each 

paper. The weather was so hot on July 16th, that 

the thermometer stood at 93 degrees, when exposed to 

the north and in the shade. In December, the 

bole of a large tree was found in a quarry at Coulton, 
near Leeds, buried under seven feet of solid rock, and 
measuring twelve feet in length; the rest of it, being 
petrified, formed part of the rock. 

1794. On January 25th, Mrs. Tarburton, of Potter- 
newton, was frozen to death in a severe storm on 
Chapeltown moor. Mr. Applepard's dyehouse, Mill- 
hill, Leeds, was burnt down March 8th, damage £1,000. 

James Hindley, of Leeds, was sentenced to two years 
imprisonment at York for selling seditious papers, en- 
titled, " The Tithe and Tax Club." Among many 

persons who died of that dreadful malady, Hydrophobia, 
in April, were, Thomas Austin, of Armley, and Mr. Clegg, 

of Dewsbury. Corps of volunteers were established 

at Leeds, Bradford, Halifax, Wakefield, and other towns. 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 181 

1794. 

for internal defence against insurrections or other com- 
motions; liberal subscriptions were obtained for the pur- 
pose, to which earl Fitzwilliam gave £1000, and many 

gentlemen £100 each St. James's church, York-street, 

Leeds, was built and opened this year, by the countess of 
Huntingdon's connexion, under the name of Zion chapel, 
but has for many years been used by the established 
church. The building is octagonal, and at each angle is a 
column rising to the roof, and supporting a small cornice. 
In the west front is a portico. The interior has a gallery, 
and over the front entrance is an organ. It has 1,300 
sittings, and is in the gift of the vicar and incumbency of 
the Rev. Edward Jackson, M.A. 

On June 1st, in this year, a desperate action was fought 
between the British fleet, commanded by lord Howe, and 
the French fleet under admiral Villaret. The British fleet . 
consisted of 25 ships, and that of the French of 26. Le ' 
Vengeur, 74 guns, was sunk, and six ships of the line 

were taken. Charles Henry Neville, son of John Pate 

Neville, Esq., of Badsworth, in the West-Riding of York- 
shire, was at this time a lieutenant in the queen's or 2nd 
regiment of foot, and was killed by a grape shot at the 
age of 19, on board earl Howe's ship, after fighting gal- 
lantl)'' in the engagement between the English and French 
fleets for three days. 

July 23rd. A calamitous lire broke out at Cock-hill, 
Ratcliffe-highwaj', London, occasioned by the boiling over 
of a pitch-kettle on a boat-builder's premises, from whose 
warehouses, which were soon consumed, the flames spread 
to a barge laden with saltpetre and other combustible 
stores, and thence communicated to several small craft 
that were lying near, and could not be got otf. By this 
melancholy event, nearh' 700 houses v/el-e destroyed, and 
the distress of the poj)ulation was immense. Government 
provided tents from the tower, and the public soon raised 
near £20,000 to afford immediate relief to the sufferers. 

Jan. 16th. Died in his 57th year, Edward Gibbon, the 

celebrated historian. May 9th. A bill to enable his 

majesty to take French subjects into British pay was 

passed into a lav/. Aug. 14th. Died George Colman, 

senior, the celebrated dramatic v.^riter. May 17th. The 

Habeas Corpus Act was suspended. Aug. 3rd. The 

marriage between prince Augustus Frederick, son of 
George TIL, with lady Augusta Murray, was determined 
in the Arches Court, Doctors' Commons, London, to be 

null and void Nov. 5th. Thomas Hardy, indicted for 

16 



182 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1794.-I795. 

hig-h treason, was acquitted, after a trial of eight days, at 

the Old Bailey, London. He was defended by Mr. Thomas 

Erskine and Mr. Gibbs. John Thelwall, John Home Tooke, 

Thomas Holcroft, &c., were afterwards tried for the same 

crime, and all acquitted. Dec. 6th. The duke of York 

quitted the British army, and returned to London, leaving 
the command with general Sir Ealph Abercrombie and 

general Walmoden. Nov. 22nd. A treaty of commerce 

and navigation between Great Britain and the t^^nited 

States of America was signed at London. Dec. 30th. 

The king (George lU.) announced to parliament the 
marriage of the prince of Wales with the princess Caroline, 
(his own cousin) daughter of the duke ef Brunswick. 

On the 29th of September, this year, the Leeds corpora- 
tion passed a vote of thanks to the volunteer corps of this 
borough, for their readiness in enrolling themselves for its 
defence, and also ordered an elegant sword to be purchased 
and presented by the mayor in the name of the corpora- 
tion, '' to Thomas Lloyd, Esq., colonel- commandant of the 
said volunteers." The cost of the sword was £84. 

1795. Ill this year a female who was cook to Mrs. 
]Metcalf, a widow lady, residing opposite the church at 
Northallerton, in cutting a turnip, found in the heart of it 
a gold ring, which turned out to be the wedding ring of 
Mrs. Wood, the gardener's wife, Avho had lost it when 
Vvxediiig in the garden ten or tAvelve 3'^ears before. 

Jan. 23rd. Died at his seat in Staffordshire, Mr. Josiah 
"Wedgwood, famous for his improvements in earthenware 

and porcelain. Earl Fitzwilliam landed in Dublin on 

the 4th of January, as successor to lord Westmorland, in 
the lord-lieutenaucy of Irelai-d, but was recalled from 
that e.xalted oifice on the 21st; of February following, to 
the great regret of the Irish public, especially the Catholics, 
who appeared in deep mourning on the day of his de- 
parture from Dublin. March 19th, the Roman Catholic 
delegates from Ireland presented a petition to the king on 

the subject of his recall. The Eight Hon. Edwin Lord 

Harewood, who was created a peer July 9th, 1790, died 
this year, January 25th: his loss was greatly deplored, 
especially by the peasantry of Harewood, who, having 
often experienced his benevolence, considered him as a 
father. The falling mills at Poole, near Otley, belong- 
ing to Close and Co. were destroyed by fire Jan. 27th: 

damage £2000. On the 9th of February, the river Aire, 

which had been frozen for a considerable time, exhibited a 
most appalling scene, occasioned by a rapid thaw and 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 183 

1/95. 

heavy rain, which broke up the ice and swelled the river 
so as to inundate all the lower streets in Leeds, where 
incalculable mischief was done by the foaming torrent and 
the immense blocks of floating ice. which carried aAvay 
cloth and tenters from the fields, threw down walls, dye- 
houses, and several dwelling-houses, and greatly injured 
the bridge, across one of the arches of which a boat ■was 
forced on its broad side, and at length broken to pieces b}-- 
a vast accumulation of ice and water, M-hich, if the vessel 
had not given way, would have soon overthrown the 
bridge itself, as v\'as feared by the ar.xious spectators of 
this destructive flood, which drowned three men in Hun- 
slet dam, and floated down the river, horses, carts, timber, 
furniture, &c., &c., in rapid succession. All the principal 
rivers in the county of York exhibited a similar spectacle, 
and the roads in various places were laid so deep in water, 
as to stop the mails and coaches several days; a man v/as 
drowned at Dewsbury mills ; three at Aldborough : and 
Mr. John Robinson, of Frizinghall mills, lost his life in at- 
tempting to cross the road near his own dwelling; a boat 
laden with coal was sunk with its crew in the Calder, and 
several bridges were carried away in various parts of the 
count J^ 

In March, Leeds raised its quota of 27 men for the , 
service of his majesty's navy, and Bradford raised its 
number by a sort of recruiting procession of the gentle- 
men and tradesmen who paraded the to^wn, accompanied 

by a band of music. In May, seven Quakers from 

Lothersdale Avere committed to York castle for refusing 
to pay tithes to the Rev. George Markham, vicar of Carlton, 
who obtained a decree against them, both for several years 
arrears of tithes, and the costs of an expensive law-suit; 
but, true to their conscience, they would pay neither. 

On June 27th, general Cameron reviewed the Leeds, 
Bradford, Halifax, Huddersfield, and Wakefield volunteers 
upon Chapeltown moor : at this grand military spectacle 
were present 60,000 spectators and 300 carriages. The 
wise system of inclosing productive land and rendering it 
conducive to the support of an immenseh' increasing popu- 
lation, rendered it necessary that this plot of ground con- 
taining more than 300 acres, should be applied to other 
purposes, and Chapeltown moor has long since disappeared. 

On July 26th, admiral Pasley visited Bradford, where 
he had his loss repaired by one of Mr. Mann's patent legs. 
Similar ones have since been worn by the marquis of 
of Anglesea. and several other heroes, who were maimed 



184 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1795. 

ia the late wars. Employment was at this time scarce, 

(wheat sold at from twelve to fourteen shillings per bushel) 
but (he evil was in some measure alleviated by subscrip- 
tions for supplying the poor at reduced prices ; the 3d. 
loaf of wheaten bread Aveighed only 14 oz. I dr. During- 
the dearth, Walter Fawkes, Esq., of Faruley hall, dis- 
tributed weekly tw^enty loads of wheat amongst the poor 
on his estate and its neighbourhood ; at the same time he 
used the most rigid economy in his own house, and his 
benevolent example so affected the neighbouring millers, 
that they offered to grind for the poor gratis. Such was 
the distress, that for some time the manufacturing districts 
were the frequent scenes of riots, and clamorous cries for 
bread, and these disturbances sometimes occured even in 
the agricultural villages. At Castleford, the starving in- 
habitants seized a vessel laden with corn, and did not; 
give her up till the riot act was read, and the military 011 
the spot had captured a dozen of their leaders. 

Henry Redhead Yorke, a notorious agitator of the public 
mind, was convicted at the York assizes on a charge of 
sedition, uttered by him in a speech at Sheffield ; he died 

in 1813. In Sheffield flour was 5s. 6d. per stone, but 

after a liberal subscription of £8,100, and the appointment 
of a committee to suppl}^ the poor at a cheap rate, it fell 

to 23. 6d. Died on the 11 rh of August, in his 65th 

year, that eminent self-taught glass stainer and painter, 
Wm. Peckett, Esq., of York, who, by many ingenious and 
noble designs executed for cathedrals, churches, and 
noblemen's seats, has distinguished and immortalized his 
name in the school of art. Some of his most admired 
productions may be seen in the windows of the cathedrals 
of York, Lincoln, and Exeter, and the universities of 
Oxford and Cambridge. He had the honour of reviving 
that elegant art, in the study and jDrac'ice of which he 
spent upwards of forty years, and on whicli subject he 
left behind him a manuscript treatise, containing drawings 
illustrative of the furnace, with receipts for producing 
evevy colour and shade, especially that rare and beautiful 
hue, the ruby, so seldom seen in perfection on stained 
glass. This manuscript was offered for publication by his 
late relict, but the price being considered too high, (ten 
guineas a copy) subscribers could not be obtained to 
warrant its going to press. 

After a daring attack had been made 0)i the life of his 
majesty George HI., a county meeting Avas held at York, 
for the purpose of discussing the merits of two bill.'* 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT- 185 

1795. -1796. 

brought into parliament, "for the safety and preservation 
of his majesty's person and government," and " for the 
suppression of seditious meetings." The meeting held in 
the Guildhall consisted of two parties, who each elected 
a chairman, viz. : Sir Thomas Gascoigne, hart., whose 
party remained in the hall, and petitioned against the bills, 
and Bacon Frank, Esq., whose party adjourned to the 

castle yard, and petitioned for the bills. In Nov., 

prince Wm. Frederick, of Gloucester, was at York, and 
received the freedom of the city in a gold box. 

179vx In Januar}'-, wheat sold at from 12s. to 13s. per 
bushel, and the principal inhabitants of Leeds and Brad- 
ford entered into a solemn agreement to reduce its con- 
sumption in their families, at least one-third, till it should 
fall to 8s. per bushel. On Jan. 4th, the Leeds volun- 
teers were reviewed on Chapeltown moor by the royal 

duke of Gloucester. Jan. 10th, died, aged 34, Thomas 

Close, Esq., of Leeds, adjutant of the corps of Leeds gen- 
tlemen volunteer infantry, commanded by lieutenant- 
colonel Lloyd. The high esteem in which Mr. Close was 
held by the corps induced the non-commissioned officers, 
who were anxious to show their respect, and pay a tribute 
of gratitude to his memory, to erect a tablet expressive 
of the same, in the parish church of his native town. 

In the same month died Wm. Fowler, who, during 37 
years, drove " Mr. Nicholson's machine " from York to 
Sheffield and back without ever being obstructed in his 
journeys by sickness, till the fatal illness which carried 
him off in a few weeks. The extensive linen manu- 
factory of Messrs. Marshall and Benyons, at Leeds, was 
destroyed by fire, Feb. 13th, when eight persons were 
killed and twenty wounded, by the falling of a wall; the 
property destroyed was estimated at £8000. 

May 6th. Died, aged 52, Mr. John Binns, of Leeds, an 
extensive bookseller, and one of the proprietors of the 
Leeds Mercury. Mr. Binns was a tory in politics, and 
the Mercur)^, under his management, was a tory paper. 
He was the son of Mr. Nathaniel Binns, bookseller, of 
Halifax. He became a partner in the banking-house of 
Scott, Binns, Nicholson, and Smith, in Leeds. He left 
his business of a bookseller, to his widow and children, 
from whom it was purchased some years after by Mr. 
John Heaton, who used to manage the bookselling de- 
partment of Mr. Binns' business. An epitaph in 

the Leeds parish church to the memory of John lies, 
who died 25th May, this year, is as follows : — 



186 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1796. 

"Short was my stay in this frail world, 

All's but a seeming laughter ; 
Therefore, mark well thy words and ways, 
For thou comes posting after." 

^tatis, sue, 19. 

On Sunday, the 29th of May, as Mr. Thoresby was 
holding a lovefeast in an upper room of a brushmaker's 
establishment in Nelson-street, Leeds, the place being 
filled with his admirers, the beam that supported the 
floor gave way, and the great bulk of the congregation 
were precipitated to the ground, bursting through the 
floor of the second story. On the ground floor was a 
deep saw-pit, in which no fewer than sixteen women, 
a man, and a boy, were there found all suffocated. 
Upwards of thirty others were so dreadfully crushed 
and bruised, that some of them died soon after. Mr. 
Thoresby, the preacher, suffered a severe contusion of 

the right arm. June 29th. William Wilberforce and 

the Hon. Henry Lascelles were returned for Yorkshire 
•without opposition. They were also returned at the 

general election of 1S02. Aug. 8th, died at the age 

of 93 years, the well-known Christopher Pivett, a carver 
and gilder of York, who was at the battles of Dettingen, 
Fontenoy, and Culloden, and some time in the retinue 
of the duke of Cumberland. In 1746, he settled at York, 
•v<''here soon afterwards his house was burnt down, in 
consequence of which, he formed the singular resolution 
of never lying in a bed in future, which he did not 
during the last 38 years of his life, but slept on the 
floor, or in a chair with his clothes on, and no person 
■ but himself in the house, to which he seldom admitted 
a visitor. 

The Albion chapel, Dickenson's-court, in Leeds, was 
opened September 25th, at which time the ritual of the 
church of England was used. It is a plain brick 
building. The first minister was the Rev. J. Price. It 
was afterwards purchased for the use of the Scotch 
church, and was re-opened by the Rev. R. Jack in 1802, 
under the inspection of the presbytery of Edinburgh. 
The Rev. P. Thompson was pastor in 1804. In 1807, 
after alterations, it was used by the Independents ; the 
late Rev. Dr. 11, W. Hamilton was the stated minister 
up to the opening of Belgrave chapel. The chapel Is 
now used by the Swedenborgians : the Rev. Richard 

Edleston is minister. The Plymouth Brethren worship 

in a large room top of Park-square, east side. The 



THE SUKROUiXDING DISTRICT. 187 

1796.-1797. 
Mormons, or Latter Day Saints, meet in Cheapside. 

The Jews have their Synagogue in Rockingham-street. 

Ann Keighley, of Huusler, died Sept. 2 1st, aged lOJ 
years. She was mother, grandmother, and great grand- 
mother to 253 children. Leeds bridge was repaired 

and widened this year. A horse, cattle, and swine 

fair was established at Heckmondwike, to be held an- 
nually, on the first Monday in April and November. 

The Wakefield volunteers addressed his majesty with 
an offer to serve him in any part of the kingdom, and 
the loyal example was soon followed by the other 

volunteer corps of Yorkshire. On Oct. 16th, about 

six o'clock in the morning, the inhabitants of Ripoii 
were greatly alarmed by a violent earthquake, which 
shook almost every house in the town; a mile from 
which, near Littlethorpe, about three roods of grouiid 
sunk nineteen fathoms, and a large ash tree, growing on 
the spot, entirely disappeared. For some time the gulph 
continued to increase, and an immense body of water 
issued from it, which filled the inhabitants with fear, 
for as there were no coal pits in the neighbourhood, it 
was evidently a great natural convulsion. 

Arthur Young, in his annals of agriculture, gives a 
curious picture of the state of machinery in the cloth 
manufacture in Leeds, in 1793. He informs us that in that 
year Leeds had six or seven steam engines for mills, and 
one for a dying-house. Spinners in Leeds earned about 
tenpence per day, some of them a shilling. Croppers, 
shearmen, and knappers earned from a guinea to thirty 
shillings per week ; and he adds, " the machines which 
have done so much for the cotton trade are fast in- 
troducing here." At the same time weavers in cottages 
earned generally r2s. a weekj and some of them so low 
as nine shillings. 

1797. Feb. loth. Sir J. Jcrvis defeated the Spanish 

fleet off Cape St. Vincent. Owing to the threatened 

invasion of Britain by France, which was the all- 
ab.so.bing topic in England at this time, the credit of 
the Bank of England was shaken ; a run v/as made 
upon it for gold in exchange for its notes, which it could 
not meet. On the 2')th of Februar3^ 1797, therefore, 
the bank was obliged, wiih the sanction of the privy 
council, to suspend cash payments, that is, to refuse 
giving coin for Vaq paper money which had been issued. 
This step led to a great depreciation in the value of 
Bank of England notes; and was followed by a very 



188 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1797. 

serious derangement of the currency for a number of 

years. On the 3rd of March, this year, an act was 

passed, authorising the issue of notes under £5, and by 
the 10th of the same month notes for <£!. and £2. were 
ready for delivery. These notes were rough and even 
rade in their execution. Easil}^ imitated, they were 
also easil}'- circulated, and from 179/ the executions for 
forgery greatl}^ increased. During six years prior to 
their issue, there was but one capital conviction ; during 

the four following years 85 occurred. An invasion 

being at this time expected, three regiments of sup- 
plementary militia with local volunteers, provisional 
cavalry, &c., were raised in the West-Riding. 

April 19th. Thirteen men and boys were killed by an 
explosion of " fire damp," in one of the coal mines, at 
Rothwell Haigh ; amongst the sufferers, were a father and 

four sons. In consequence of an additional stamp 

duty, the price of the Leeds newspapers was raised from 

4d. to 6d. on July 10th. During the night of Nov. 20th, 

there was a most outrageous riot at Beeston, and a nu- 
merous body of workmen indulged their enmity towards 
machinery, by completely destroying a mill used for 
" raising cloth," by Messrs. Johnson, of Holbeck. None 
of the rioters could afterwards be identified, as the night 
was dark, and they would not permit lights to be brought 

to the spot. In opening a qnarr}^ at Rastrick, near 

Huddersfield, were found about twenty urns, from four to 
fifteen inches in diameter, containing ashes and fragments 
of burnt human bones, supposed to be Roman. The large 
urns were three feet, and the small ones 1 ^ feet below 
the surface, and they were surrounded by a black sub- 
stance, supposed to be the remains of the fires in which 
the bodies had been burnt. Some of the urns were 
curiously ornamented, but most of them fell to pieces 
before they could be got out of the earth. One of them 
was inverted, and the bones it contained were much better 

preserved than those found in the others. March 15th. 

Died Mrs. Pope, a celebrated actress, aged 52, 

July 9th. That great orator and statesman, Edmund 
Burke, aged 69. 

July 25th. Admiral Nelson lost his right arm by a cannon 
ball, in an unsuccessful attack on the Isle of Teneriffe. 

Oct 11th. Admiral Duncan with sixteen sail of the line, 
after a most gallant action, defeated the Dutch Admiral de 
Winter, who had sixteen sail of the line, and five frigates ; 
ten sail of the line and tAvo frigates were captured, and but 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 189 

1797. 

for the circumstance of the Dutch fleet heiug so near their 
o^vn coast (5 miles) the whole must have fallen into the 
hands of the British Admiral, Avho v.-as soon after created 
baron Dancan and viscount Camperdown, the name by which 
the battle was designated. At this time there were 
great rejoicings at Leeds and other places, and subscriptions 
opened for the relief of the widows and children of those 
who fell in the engagement. 

Xov. 15th, died the Rev. Joseph Milner. He was born in 
the neighbourhood of Leeds, January 2nd, in 1744, and Avas 
the son of a poor weaver. He was educated at the Leeds 
grammar school ; where he made great proiiciency in Greek 
and Latin. At the age of 18 he was appointed to the ofiice 
of chapel clerlv, at Catherine Hall, Cambridge, where he 
took his bachelor's degree in 17o'j and obtained one of the 
chancellor's medals. He afterwards became head master 
of the grammar school at Hull, Vvorth £200 a year ; was 
soon after chosen afternoon lecturer in the principal church 
in that town. On obtaining this situation he sent for his 
mother (then living at Leeds in poverty) to Hull, ^vhere she 
became the manager of his liouse. He also sent for two 
poor orphans, the children of his eldest brother. He also 
removed his brother Isaac from Leeds where he was humbly 
employed in a woollen manufactory, and made him his 
assistant. This brother, afterwards became master of 
queen's college, Cambridge, professor of mathematics and 
dean of CarLsle (See date 1820.) He A\as presented to the 
vicarage of north Ferraby, and latterly to that of Holy 
Trinity church, in Hull. The published works of Joseph 
were "some passages in the life of William Howard." 
" A History of the Church of Christ," &c. 

Xov. 16th, died Frederick William XL, king of Prussia, 
and vras succeeded by his son, Frederick William HL 

In this year about seventy delegates, from all part- of the 
kingdom, met the Wesleyan conference at Leeds, and pro- 
posed that in future the annual conference should consist of 
" an equal number of preachers and representatives of the 
people," to be chosen by them. This proposition being re- 
jected by the conference, the Methodist Xew Connexion 
was formed, chiefly by the talents and zeal of 3Ir. Alex- 
ander Kilham, a distinguished preacher, from whom they 
were sometimes called Kilhamites. At its formation, it 
embraced only seven preachers, seven circuits, and 500 
members, very widely scattered, and having but fevr chapels ; 
but they so far succeeded, that in fourteen years after their 
establishment, they had 23 circuits, 101 chapels, 207 



190 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 
I797.-I798. 

societies, and 8,292 members; and 44 itinerant, and 229 
local preachers. In 1829, they had 1G2 chapels, 59 circuits, 
and 492 local preachers, who ministered to 11,777 members. 

Dec. 19th. A national thanksgiving was observed for the 
three great naval victories of Admirals Howe, St. Vincent, 

and Dmican. On the 26th of Dec, aged 73 years, died 

that distinguished chamberlain and alderman of London, 
John Wilks, Esq., author of a patriotic article in No. 4-5, of 
the north Briton, for which he suffered imprisonment. 

1798. In January, the new church at Halifax was conse- 
crated by the learned Dr. Watson, bishop of Landaff. 

The corporation of Leeds subscribed ^500 in aid of the 
supplies requisite for the defence of the kingdom, and trans- 
mitted it to the cashier of the Bank of England, with an 
order for it to be entered in the books in the following 
terms : — " The corporation of Leeds, having no property or 
income whatever, save the interest of £1,800, arising from 
fees of admission, and fines paid hy those refusing to serve. 
Five Hundred Founds.'" J. Smyth, Esq. of Heath, near 
Wakefield, subscribed £1,000 for the same purpose, and 
Sir R. B. Johnstone, bart. most liberally subscribed £1,000 
annually during the continuance of the war. These examples 
were followed by man)'- large towns and opulent individuals. 
The earls of Harewood and Carlisle each gave £4,000, and 

the Bank of England £200,000. The duke of Norfolk, 

for toasting at a whig club, in London, " The Majesty of the 
Feople'" was dismissed from the lord lieutenancy of the West- 
Riding, vv'hich was given to earl Fitzwilliam. 

A new peal of ten bells at the Leeds parish church was 
opened Februar}" 5th, by the Ashtoh-under-Lyne ringers. 

A piece of ground on Headingley-moor, containing about 
one acre, was enclosed, (1798) with the consent of the lord 
of the manor and freeholders, and vested in trustees, as a 
provision for-a schoolmaster, to teach six poor children. 

Thomas Maude was born, it is said, at Harewood. near 
Leeds, in 1717 ; while another account — though less certain 
— gives Westhiinster the credit of his birth. Brought up 
to the medic^il profession, and was surgeon on board the 
Barfleur, with captain lord Harry Powlett. Afterwards 
he became ste\A'ard for the estates of the duke of Bolton, 
and resided chiefly at his grace's seat, Bolton hall, in 
Wensleydale. Published " Wensleydale, or Rural Contem- 
plations; " and other poems. Died in 1798. 

In this \'-ear Messrs. Rambothara, Swaine, and Mur- 
gatroyd, of Bradford, erected the first mill wrought by 
steam, in the " Holme." The engine which supplied the 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 191 

1798. 

propelling- force was of fifteen horses' power. Mr. James, 
in his history of Bradford states, that at this time strong 
prejudice existed in the minds of the inhabitants, even the 
respectable portion of them, against factories. A man 
had commenced conveying stones for the building of the 
mill, when a large number of the inhabitants assembled to 
prevent his proceeding to the site of it, and laid hold of 
the horse's head. One of the partners, being a man of 
considerable prowess, stripped his coat, and literally 
"boxed the way clear ; and the persons who had assembled 
to stop the work, seeing his determination, and probably 
remembering the unlawfulness of their conduct, allowed 
the horse and cart to proceed. Under such discouraging 
circumstances was the first of those structures built which 
have raised Bradford to its present importance among 
the towns of England. 

Very soon after Rambotham and Swaine's mill was at 
work, other mills were erected in or near the town. It 
seems that an attempt was at that period made to intro- 
duce the cotton manufacture here; and one mill, (at least), 
which is now used in the worsted business, was, early in 
the present century, built for the spinning of cotton. This 
branch of manufactures was not, however, long carried 
on here. 

The progress of the worsted manufacture in Bradford, 
has been as rapid and as unexampled as that of its popu- 
lation. In ISOO, according to the census, 1290 persons 
were employed in Bradford, in trade or manufactures. In 
1811, 1595 families were so emuloyed ; in 1821, 2452 
families; in 1831, 3867, besides 1605 labourers. In 1819, 
the number of horses' power employed in propelling the 
machinery of worsted mills in Bradford and its immediate 
neighbourhood, was about 492 ; in 1830, 1047 ; and in 
1840, upwards of 2000. 

In April, an armed association was formed at Leeds, by 
persons who found their own accoutrements, and served 
without pay. Each company had a captain and two lieu- 
tenants. In May, aged 73, died William Mason, an 

eminent Yorkshire poet, and the friend and biographer of 
Gray. He was born in 1725. His father was vicar of St. 
Trinity hall, in the East-Riding. In 1742, young Mason 
entered St. John's college, Cambridge, where he took his 
batchelor's degree in 1745. In 1749 he was chosen a 
Fellow of Pembroke college, and took his master's degree 
two years after. In 1754 he took orders, and in 1756 he 
received the living of Aston, in Yorkshire. In 1762 he 



192 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1798. 

was preferred to the canonry of York, the prebend of 

Driffield, and the precentorship of York minster. Besides 

his skill in poetry and gardening, he was a con?<iderable 

proficient in painting, and a respectable amateur in music. 

Mason cannot be classed with the great poets, yet for 

many years of his life he was England's greatest living 

poet. 

After a thunder storm and heavy fall of rain, on June 6th, 
the river Aire rose two yards in half an hour ; by the 
lightning a boy was killed at Wibsey, and a barn destroyed 

at Yeadon. Mr. John Swire, of Halifax, unfortunately 

perished in the snow whilst attempting to cross Knares- 
borough forest on horseback, in February, when several 
other travellers lost their lives by exposing themselves to 

the severity of the weather. In June, the militia 

volunteered their services to Ireland, amongst whom were 
the 1st West York regiment, who, on the 5th of April, 
embarked for that ill-fated and injured, country, where re- 
bellion existed in all its horrors, and where the insurgents 
were expected to be soon joined by the French. 

The canal from Sowerby bridge to Rochdale was opened 

December 21st. March 30th. The whole kingdom of 

Ireland was put under martial lav/. April 3rd. The 

duke of York was appointed commander-in-chief of all 
his majesty's land forces in the kingdom of Great Britain. 

April 21st. A bill passed on the 20th for the suspension 
of the Habeas Corpus Act, this day received the royal 

assent. May 6th. Sir Sidne}' Smith arrived in London 

from Paris, having made his escape after a confinement of 
upwards of two years, in the prison of the temple. 

May 9th. Geo. III. struck out the name of Mr. Fox 

from the list of privy councillors. May 23rd. Lady 

Edward Fitzgerald, relict of lord Edward Fitzgerald, 
(who had expired on the 19th, in consequence of wounds 
he had received in a desperate struggle with the police 
officers of Dublin, in their attempt to arrest his lordship 
on a charge of high treason), was ordered to quit the 
British dominions : she was the celebrated Pamela, and 

daughter of the duke of Orleans. May 25th. Sunday, 

in consequence of a previous dispute in the House of 
• Commons between Mr. Pitt and Mr. Tierney, a duel was 
fought by those tv/o great politicians; two cases of 
pistols were discharged without effect, and as Mr. Pitt 
fired his last pistol in the air, the matter was accomodated 

by the seconds, At this time the spirit of military 

ardour wholly pervaded Great Britain, and all ranks 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 193 

1798 -1799. 

eagerly formed themselves into volunteer corps for the 
deJence of the country. 

The canal from Sowerby bridge to Rochdale, Avas opened 

December 2Ist. August 1st was fought the ever 

memorable battle of the Nile, for the services of which 
day admiral Nelson had the dignity of baron of Great 
Britain conferred on him, by his majesty George III., with 
a pension of £3,000 a year. Early in October there were 
illuminations in all the principal towns of the county in 
honour of this victory, and liberal subscriptions were 
opened for the relief of the widows and orphans of the 
brave seamen who were killed in the action. 

1799. There are monuments in the Leeds parish church, 
"To thememory of John Pate Neville, lieutenant in the third 
regiment of foot guards, who was wounded in Holland, in an 
engagement against the French, September 19th, of which 
wound he died October 10th, 1799 " ; also, " To the memory 
of Brownlow Pate Neville, lieutenant in the third regiment 
of foot guards, who was likewise wounded in Holland, 
September 10th, and died September 16th, 1799, aged 23 
years." There is one to the brother of the above, who was 
killed five years before, with an inscription as follows : — 
"Sacred to the memory of Charles Henry Neville, lieutenant 
in the queen's, or second regiment of foot, who, being on 
the marine duty on board earl Howe's ship, after behaving 
in a most brave and gallant manner in the engagement 
which took place between the English and French fleets 
for three days, was killed by a grape shot, June the 1st, 
1794, aged 19 years." 

'* Ye sons of peace, who blest 
With all the dear delights of social life, 
Behold this Tablet, 
Which affection reared. 
To the lov'd memory of the young, the brave ; 
Whose early bloom, smote by the ruthless hand of war, 
Fell, admired, lamented : 
Oh! give one pitying tear. 
In grateful memory of the generous youth. 
Who dauntless met the dreadful battle's rage. 
And nobly bled. 
That you might live secure." 

The large centre building of the extensive woollen 
manufactory of ^lessrs. Wormald, Fountain, and Gott, at 
Bean-Ing, near Leeds, was destroyed by fire August 11th : 
five days after which the river Aire overflowed its banks, 

17 



194 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1799. 

and did mucli damage in the adjacent buildings and the 

hay and corn fields. The weather was for some time wild 

and tempestuous. Several mills and houses near 

Holmtirth and Huddersfield were swept avv^ay by the 
floods, but this was trifling compared with the devasta- 
tion in Lancashire and Cheshire, where numerous bridges 
and mills were washed down, and one person lost SOO 

l)ieces of finished goods. On November 16th, Mr. 

Graham's extensive corn, oil, and scribbling mills, at Kirk- 
stall, were destroyed by fire. Great distress pre- 
vailed, and subscription soup kitchens were opened in 
nearly all the large towns in the kingdom, for the purpose 
of supplying the poor at Id. per quart, but this was not 
sufficient to allay the craving appetites of the Hudders- 
field workmen, who assembled in riot on the 19th of Nov- 
ember, and seized all the corn in the market, and sold it 

at their own prices. On July 2nd, died, in his 80th 

year, the Rev. Thomas Morgan, who was incumbent of the 
Presbyterian chapel, at Morley, near Leeds, during thirty- 
six years, and distinguished himself for learning and piety 
by his excellent sermons, b}'- his writings in the gentle- 
man's magazine, and by his able reply to the doctrines 
of the Trinity and Atonement, advocated by Dr. Priestley. 
His immediate predecessor was the Rev. Mr. Aldred, 
vA\o held the living fifty-four years, and during that 
long period was not once prevented by illness from 
discharging his ministerial duties. Mr. Aldred's pre- 
decessor was the Rev. Joseph Dawson, who was ejected 
from Thornton chapel, under the act of uniformity, and 
appointed to Morley chapel in 1688. A school of in- 
dustry was established this year in Beezon's-yard, Leeds, 
which yard was situate in the position of the present 
Market-street. 

August 5th, died the Rt. Hon. Earl Howe, who so 
gloriously distinguished himself in the naval engagement 

of June 1st, 1794. Salem chapel, at \V"akefield, was 

built this year. Nov. 26th, died, aged 71, Dr. Joseph 

Black, professor of chemistry in the university of Edin- 
burgh. He was the discoverer of the air balloon nearly 
fifteen years before the idea suggested itself to M. Mont- 
golfier, to whom the invention is generally attributed. 

Dec. 14th, died, aged 68, general Washington, at Mount 

Vernon, America. David Simpson, a clergyman noted 

for his writings, was born near North-Allerton, in York- 
shire, 1745. His father was a farmer, and David was in- 
tended for the same pursuit, but he was desirous of entering 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 195 

1799.-1S00. 

the church, and went to study at Cambridge. Here he 
became acquainted with Robert Robinson, the Baptist 
minister, and imbibed principles of dissent, which troubled 
his whole life b\' struggles between his interest and his 
convictions. He never attained any eminence in the 
church; indeed, his preaching was such that he was 
obliged to leave two or three situations. He at last settled 
at Macclesfield, in Cheshire, where he died in 1799. He 
had previously determined, as his manuscripts show, on 
leaving the establishment, but he did not live to carry out 
his resolution. His principal works are. an " Essay on 
the authenticity of the New Testament," "A Key to the 
Prophecies," "A Plea for the Diety of Jesus Christ, and 
the Doctrine of the .Trinity," and a "Plea for Religion 

and the Sacred Writings." The scarcity of corn in 

Bradford was even greater in this and the following year 
than in 1796 ; and work being also scarce, the distress in 
this town was very severe. Wheat sold for ITs. a bushel; 
and the poorer class of inhabitants lived principally on 
barley, bean, and pea meal, of which only a scanty supply 
could be obtained. It was a season of distress which is 
yet well remembered by many. 

A very severe and long winter, with deep snow, 
when a great number of sheep and lambs Avere destroyed 
by the frost. The Barnsley canal was opened June loth. 

1800. Some few readers of the 'Annals' vvill be able to 
remember what was the condition of Leeds at the beginning 
of the 19th century; how groves, green lanes, and fields 
have been replaced by warehouses, mills, factories, foundries, 
railway stations, houses, &c. It has already been seen that 
Leeds, as mentioned in doomsda}'- book, was restricted to 
Briggate, Kirkgate, and Swinegate. The mud and v, attled 
houses, roofed Avith thatch, which formed the early dwell- 
ings of the inhabitants, gave place to timber houses, one of 
which, named itOcWey /laZ?, in Lovverhead-row, the residence 
of an opulent famih^ was existing down to the be- 
ginning of the present century. It was built entirely of 
timber, and was of a very antique form, consisting of a 
centre and two wings, with a pointed door-way at the 
lower end of the central part. Instead of deals, or boards, 
the floors v.ere oak planks, of so considerable a thickness, 
that joists were subsequently made of them. These timber 
houses were succeeded b}' another class of houses built of 
a perishable argillaceous kind of stone found in the neigh- 
bourhood. Then followed brick houses, the first of which 
built in Leeds, (1628) is known as the Bed hall, in Tpper- 



196 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1800. 

head-row. Most of the old buildings in the town have 

been replaced by larger and more elegant ones. In Briggate, 

and other parts of the town, a few old houses may yet be 

seen; but they are scarcely noticed except by the curious. 

Austhorpe Hall, near the Friends' meeting-house, near 
Meadow-lane, is an ancient building, built of timber and 
plastered on the outside. It originally belonged to a family 
of the name of Austhorpe, and afterwards to a Scotch 
family named Douglas, "Annys Fearn, wyfe of Myles 
Douglasse, was buried 3rd September, 1578," as we learn 
from the parish register. To the west of Austhorpe hall, is 
another ancient house, now completely surrounded with 
buildings, which seems to have been the Water hall of 
Thoresby. 

Ingram's Hall, at the end of Bow-street, is a very old 
house. Wliitaker styles it "Hill House, Bank, where is a 
fair large house built by Mr. William Ingram.'" There is a 
tradition that this house was built by one of the Ingram's 
of Templenewsam; but the Ingram who built it was not at 
all related to the family at Templenewsam, and, of course, 
the many other traditions founded on this supposition are 
void of truth. Richard Hutchinson, Esq., of Astley, is the 

present proprietor. Knostrop is remarkable for a very 

ancient hall with castellated turrets; in front of the court 
are two antique stone chairs. Early in the I7th century, 
the hall was in the possession of John Stables, one of the 
first of the people called quikers, A\'ho converted part of 
the orchard beside the hall into a burying ground, where 
some stones with inscriptions may yet be seen. "Whitaker 
says that "Knowsthorpe hall contains perhaps the latest 
specimen of a dais or raised step for the high table which 

is to be found in England." In North-hall-street, West-end 

there is an ancient buildmg known as North hall, which was 
once an important place, as being in the centre of North 
hall gardens. This house is thus alluded to by Whitaker, 
" Mr. George Bannister, sen., first tov/n clerk of Leeds, 
purchased the North hall wood estate of alderman Hillary, 
the benefactor, who built the first house here in the time of 
Charles I. The population of the parish of Leeds in 1801 was 
53,162, in 1851, 172,270. Vast changes must have taken 
place to meet the requirements of this increase of popula- 
tion. The number of inhabited houses in 1801 ^^ as 6,694, 
and in 1851,36,165. A survey of Leeds made at the begininng 
of the present century is highly interesting, as showing the 
appearance of the town at that time. Park-place is de- 
scribed as a very elegant range of buildings, with a south 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 197 

1800. 

aspect, and wliicii commands a very pleasing view of the 
country, particularly of the river Aire. A foolpatl), the en- 
trance to which was near where Lupton's warehouse is iu 
Welliug-ton-street, passed through pleasant fields to Burley. 
The road on the north side of Park-place was not then 
made. The Infirmary, M'ith the Mixed Cloth Hall, formed 
one side of a very extensive square, the west of which was 
East-parade; the north, South-parade; and the east, Park- 
rov.' : the area of the square was partly laid out in gardens 
and partly used as tenter ground. Woodliouse lane, from its 
elevated situation, and the fine prospect it afforded of Aire- 
dale, had hecome a favourite place for building on, es- 
pecially genteel detached houses, of vvhich there were many 
between Leeds and Woodhouse. The situation of St. 
James's-street, Woodhouse-lane, is described as extremely 
pleasant, and from its elevation, the air of it is remarkably 
salutary and bracing, from v/hicli circumstance, it a\ as pre- 
ferred b}' invalids to any part of the tovm, and, of course, 
buildings in it v/erc in great request. The space from Park- 
lane to "SVoodhouse moor v.as pleasant fields. The whole 
distance between Scarbro's hotel and Gott's factory, Avas 
fields, gardens, &c. Near to Gott's factory was a place 
called Monk pits, and on the site of the factory, (which was 
built before the IDth century), was Bene Ing, or Bean Ing. 
Bene signifies prayers, Jh^v, field ; that is, the field of prayers. 
In every part of the town there has been the same rapid 
accumulation of buildings. Nearly the whole of the "West- 
end, Armley hall. New Wortley, Camp field. Brewery field, 
a vast part of Hunslet and Holbeck and at the east end of 
the town, the Leylands, &c., have been built since the year 
1800. The subject might be pursued further, but sufficient 
has been said to call to the minds of readers the changes 
that have taken place. Aged people, especially, can com- 
municate much interesting and valuable information as to 
the past condition of the town of Leeds. 

The year 1800 was not a leap year although divisable by 

four, (see 1751.). The diet of the working classes at 

this time was quite different from what it is now. It was 
customary at the winter fair to purchase beef i'or the pur- 
pose of being salted and hung lor winter food. The broth 
and rashers ^ihich these afforded, with oat cakes, or hard 
wheaten bread, v.ere a perpetual repast. Frument)'', also, 
in the winter time was much eaten. A large subscrip- 
tion V. as raised in January by the inhabitants of Leeds, to 
relieve the distress of the labouring poor at that place, oc- 
casioned by the high price of provisions. A scribbling 



198 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1800. 

mill at Holbeck was destroyed by fire. -x\bout 150 

vessels were wrecked on the northern coast, where nearly 

1,000 persons perished in the deep. In February, wheat 

sold in Leeds at from 10s. to l7s. per bushel, according to 
quality, which varied much owing to the wet harvest of 

the preceding year. The price of mutton was 2d. per 

pound higher in April than it had ever been before, but to 
reduce it, by making it more plentiful, the inhabitants of 
Leeds determined not to eat lamb for three months. 

On May 6th, the Leeds market was disturbed by a great 
riot, caused by the high price of wheat, which in July rose 
to from 42s. to 50s. per load of three bushels, or from 14s. 

to 16s. 8d. per bushel. Numerous petitions were sent 

to parliament by the woollen manufacturers, praying "that 
the exportation of v/ool to Ireland may not, on any account, 

be permitted." This year Wheeler Medhurst, Esq., of 

Kippax, murdered his wife in a fit of insanity, and was 
afterwards confined for some years. 

On October 2nd, died, Harry Rowe, a well known 
character of York, who was trumpeter in the duke of 
Kingston's light horse, at the battle of Culloden, in 1746, 
and attended the high sheriff's of Yorkshire as trumpeter 
at the assizes during 46 years. He travelled in various 
parts of the kingdom with a puppet show, and died in 
the workhouse of his native city, at the age of 75 years. 

At the Otley sessions, in October, three great fore- 
stallers were tried and punished, viz.: David Oliver, of 
Lindley, and Thomas Wall, of Addingham, for forestalling 
wheat and shelling, each fined £20; and Samuel Wignall, 
of Keighiey, "for engrossing butter," imprisoned one 

month at Wakefield and fined £40. The Quakers, in 

an advertisement in the Leeds papers, declared their ab- 
horrence of adding to the high price of provisions by 
"forestalling and regrating in the markets, and that they 
would discountenance any of their society who should be 
guilty of such nefarious practices;" for the suppression 
of v/hich the law is but too seldom called into action. 

Messrs. Williamson and Evers' corn mills, at Keighiey, 

were burnt down November 17th. The inhabitants 

of Leeds bound themselves in an association in December, 
not to consume in their respective families more bread 
than one quartern loaf (4 lbs.) per head in each week, till 
the 1st of September following, or until the average price 

of wheat should be 10s. per bushel. Messrs. Chaster, 

Wilson, and Co.'s scribbling mill, at Dewsbury, was de- 
stroyed by fire December 11th. About this time Mr. 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 199 

1800. 

James Dufton found, in a field at Bramley-town-end, near 
Leeds, a halfpenn3% inscribed on one side '■'Francis Conyers, 
of Middleton, in Yorlshire, 1669 " : and on the reverse, 

^^ for the use of ye. coalpits.'" The organ of St. Paul's 

church, Leeds, was erected this year by subscription. 

In ISOO, the Airedale Independent college, for educating 
young men for the Independent ministry, was founded at 
Idle ; and endowed in 1S03, by a bequest of Edward 
Hanson, Esq., with £5000 three per cent, consols. Mrs. 
Bacon, of Bradford, in 1S29, gave two estates at Fagley 
and UndercliflPe to increase the endowment. The germ 
of this institution was an academy at Heckmondwike, 
formed for a similar purpose in 1756. In the year 17S3 
the academy was removed to Northowram. The premises 
at Idle having become too small for the increase of students, 
a subscription was entered into by the supporters of the 
institution, for the purpose of erecting the present college 
at UnderclifFe, which was designed by Mr, Clark. The* 
erection of it began in 1831. It is a large and well de- 
signed and convenient stone building, ornamented with a 
portico, and has accommodation for twenty students. 
Owing to its elevated site it has a very imposing appear- 
ance. The Rev. William Vint was the tutor during all 
the time the institution continued at Idle, which was re- 
moved in 1834; but he died soon after its removal, and 
was succeeded by the Rev. Walter Scott. The institution 
is now under the superintendance of the Rev. Dr. Eraser. 
The yearly income arising from the endowment and other 
sources is about oe900. A chapel was, in connection with 
the college, erected in 1839, in High-street. It is a very 
handsome structure, and from its elevated and towering 
position, forms a strong feature in the appearance of the 
town. The cost of its erection, which was defrayed by 
subscription, was near £3000. There are in it 800 sittings. 
The Rev. Dr. Eraser is the pastor. 

Died, aged 69, William Cowper, Esq., the celebrated 

poet. Sept. 5th. The island of Malta surrendered to 

the British, after a blockade of two years ; as did also the 
Dutch island of Curacoa, in the West Indies, on the 11th 

of September. Dec. The quartern loaf in London 

was at this time Is. \0]4d.; and the average price of 

wheat was 133s. per quarter. In the course of this 

month several bills brought into parliament in consequence 
of the scarcity and high price of provisions, were, by the 
royal sanction, passed into laws, viz. : a bill for allowing 
bounties on the importation of various kinds of provisions ; 



200 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1800. 

to prohibit the use of grain in the distillation of spirits 
and the manufacture of starch ; and to prohibit bakers 
selling any bread until the same shall have been baked 
twenty-four hours. A bill also passed prohibiting the 
manufacture of flour or meal from wheat or any other 
grain, finer than a specified standard, commonly called 
the brown bread bill, but this last was speedil}^ repealed. 

Dec. 31st. From tlie army returns presented to the 
House of Commons, by the secretary of war, it appeared 
that the number of men raised for the army since the 
commencement of the war, was 208,SSS. The number 
of men discharged on account of wounds, was 75,910, 
but this also included those who had been transferred 
from one regiment to another. The number of men 
killed in action, or who died in the service, was 48,971, 
and the number of effective men, including invalids, 
militia, and foreign corps in the pa}-- of Great Britain, 

■*on the 24th Dec, was 168,082. The progress*- of 

machiner}^ may be estimated by the evidence of Mr. 
Gott, before parliament in 1800. He then stated that 
fifteen years previously, it would have required 1,634 
persons to do that which was then done by thirty-live 
individuals in a week. Of course he vv'^as speaking of 
the process of scribbling and spinning. He further stated 
that the average of wages in the woollen manufactory, 
at that time, was as follows : — men could earn from 
sixteen to eighteen shillings per week; children could 
earn three shillings per week ; older children, viz., from 
fourteen to eighteen years of age, from live to six 
shillings per week ; women could earn from five to six 
shillings per week; and old men from nine to twelve 
shillings per week. 

Newcome Cappe, a dissenting divine, was born at 
Leeds, in 1732. He was educated under Dr. Doddridge, 
at Northampton, and finished his studies at Glasgow; 
after which, he became minister of a congregation at 

York, where he died in 1890. Jesse Ramsden, an 

optician, was born at Halifax, in 1735, and served his 
apj)renticeship to a hot-presser ; after v.hich he went to 
London and studied engraving. He next became a 
mathematical instrument maker in Piccadill}'-, and, by 
marrying a daughter of Dolland, improved his knowledge 
in that profession. Among other discoveries, he made 
an accurate division of instruments, which procured 
him a premium from the board of longitude. He died 
at Brighton, in 1800. At this time Bradford had a 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 201 

1800.-1S01. 

population of 6,300. May 15th. His majesty 

George III. narrowly escaped assassination, a ])istol 
having- been fired at him as he sat in the royal box at 
Drury-lane theatre, by a maniac named Hatfield, who 

was confined for life. Pantaloons, which fitted 

closely to the leg, were in very common use at this 
time, and remained so until the 3'ear 1814, when the 
wearing of trousers, already introduced into the army, 
became fashionable. Although trousers were generally 
worn after 1S15, many elderly persons still held out in 
knee-breeches against all innovations, and till the present 
day, (1S59) an aged gentleman may occasionally be seen 
clinging to this eighteenth century piece of dress. When 
trousers were introduced, the use of Wellington boots 
to go beneath them also became common. Black neck- 
cloths, or stocks, (instead of white), and the surtout, 
came into vogue about the same time as the boots. 

ISOl. January 5th. Wheat sold at from 52s, to 56s. a 
load. 

20,000 of the inhabitants of Leeds petitioned for peace, and 
the wealthiest subscribed to supply the poor at reduced 

prices with soup, rice, and herrings. On March 7th, 

the late Mr. Edward Baines became proprietor of the Leeds 

Mercury. A storm of thunder and lightning on July 

31st, killed William Sage, of Almondbury, near Hud- 
dersfield, whilst sheltering under a tree, and by the 
compres-'ion of a cloud inundated the first floors of 
many buildings at Aberford and Parlington hall. 

Man}^ nocturnal meetings were held at Hartshoad 
moor, and other places in the West-Riding, by the dis- 
affected. lu July, the price of wheat was reduced 

from £8 to £3 lOs. per quarter. Leeds was brilliantly 

illuminated in October, in consequence of the ratification of 

peace between Great Britain and France. October 13th, 

died Samuel Predam, of Leeds, aged 2S, late lieutenant of 
his majesty's 54th regiment of foot, who Avas shot through 
the body on the 25th of August, near the gates of Alex- 
andria, in Egypt, where he displayed the active zeal, the 
intrepid gallantry, and the invincible spirit and courage of 
a true British soldier. A monument in the Leeds parish 
church has an inscription as follows: — "In memory of 
Samuel Predham, of this town, late lieutenant of his 
majesty's 54th regiment of foot. This monument is erected 
by his most affectionate and disconsolate mother on the 
loss of her only son. In the memorable expedition to 
Egypt he bore a distinguished part, and displayed on all 



202 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1801. 

occasions the active zeal, the intrepid gallantry, and the 

invincible spirit and courage of a true British officer. He 

Y/as shot through the body, the 25th of August, 1801, near 

the gates of Alexandria." 

"But like the immortal Abercrombie, 
He refused to quit his post 
So long as he could stand. 
His death, which ensued the 13th Oct. following, 
At the age of twenty-eight years, 
To his friends was most affecting, 

To himself it was glorious 
As his life had been honourable." 

In December, an epidemic fever raged in Leeds, and 
amongst its numerous victims were two young sur- 
geons. This malady produced one beneficial effect on 
William Alha, a pauper lunatic, in Holbeck workhouse, 
for it left him in the possession of his reason, of 
which he had been bereft upwards of two years, 
during which he frequently vv'andered about Leeds in old 
regimentals, making political harangues in the streets 
against Mr. Pitt, who, he said, ought to be hanged for 

ruining the country. Jan. 1. The union between 

England and Ireland took place. The king was now styled 
of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, king, 
defender of the faith, &c. The arms or ensigns, armorial, 
of the United Kingdom, were quarterly, first and fourth, 
England ; second, Scotland ; third, Ireland. By the articles 
of union, 100 commoners were to be representatives of 
Ireland in the imperial parliament, two for each county, 
two for each of the cities of Dublin a.nd Cork, one for the 
university, and one for each of the thirty-one most con- 
siderable ciiies and towns. As a compensation to the 
owners of disfranchised boroughs, the sum of £15,000 was 
allowed to each. To represent the Irish peerage, twenty- 
eight lords temporal elected for life, were allotted, and 
four bishops to represent the clerg}^, taking their places in 

rotation. The planet, Ceres, v/as discovered by Fiazzi, 

an Italian astronomer. Jan. 22nd. The imperial 

parliament assembled for the first time. Died, in the 

60ih year of his age, at Berne, Switzerland, John Caspar 
Lavatar, the celebrated physiognomi.'^t; also Sir George 
Staunton, secretary to the earl of Macartney in his embassy 
to China, and the person who published the interesting 
account of that embassy. 

Feb. 23rd. The British armament, under the command 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 203 

1801.-1802. 

of lord Keith, consisting of 175 sail, having on board an 
army of 15,330 men, commanded by the brave Sir Ralph 
Abercrombie, and destined for the recovery of Egypt, 
sailed from Minorca bay, on the coast of Caramania, and, 
after a boisterous passage, arrived in Aboukir bay, on the 

2nd. of March. Feb. Average price of wheat 145s. 

per quarter. 

Stephen Barrett was born at Kildv^nck, in 171S, and re- 
ceived his education at the school of Skipton, from whence 
he removed to Oxford, where he took his degree in arts, 
and entered into orders. For many years he was master 
of the grammar school at Ashford, in Kent, which he 
resigned in 1773, on being preferred to the rectory of Hoth- 
field in the same counly, where he died in 1801. 

April 22nd. Battle of Copenhagen — when lord Nelson 
took, sunk, and burnt 17 sail of Danish ships and batteries. 
Sir H. B. Hayes tried at Cork, for forcibly carrying off 
Miss Pike, a rich Quaker heiress ; he was found guilty, and 
slintenced to be hanged, but was reprieved for transporta- 
tion. May 4th. A nev/ writ issued by the speaker of 

the House of Commons for a member for Old Sarum, in 
the room of Rev. J. Home Tooke. 

On May 6th a bill was introduced into the House to 
declare persons in hoi}'- orders incapable to sit, which 

afterwards passed into a law. Sept. 2nd. The French 

garrison of Alexandria of 8000 soldiers and 1300 seamen 
surrendered to the British ; the glorious campaign in 
Egypt terminated with the fall of Alexandria ; of the whole 
of the French troops landed in Egypt at various periods 
during its occupation by them, onl}^ 24,000 returned to 

their native country. Oct. 1st. Preliminaries of peace 

were signed in London by lord Hawkesbur}^, (afterwards 
earl of Liverpool) on the part of Britain, and M. Otto, 

on the part of the French republic. Marquis Corn- . 

wallis was appointed ambassador to the French re- 
public. 

1S02. On January 4th, Messrs. Crowther and Hirst's 
scribbling mill, at Morley, near Leeds, was destroyed by 

fire, with a great quantity of wool. iMarch 2nd, died 

Francis, duke of Bedford, deeply regretted by the British 

nation. A rail-road from Leeds to Selby was strongly 

recommended by " Mercator," in the Leeds Mercury of 

Jan. 16. Richard Trevithick took out a patent this 

year for a locomotive steam-engine, which ran in the Mer- 
thyr tramway, and drew a load of ten tons at the rate of 
five miles an hour. Slight ridges were left in the edge of 



204 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1802. 

the wheels, and on the trams, to prevent their slipping 

round, and to insure a forward movement. That without 

this precaution there could be no adhesion or advance, was 

an idea that long prevailed. The following paragraph 

appeared in the Leeds Mercur}^ Aug. 2ist, 1S02 : — 

"Iron Railways. — Richard Lovell Edgeworth, Esq., so well 
known as an author, has published an essay on railroads, of which he 
claims the invention. He states that in 1768 he presented models to 
the Society of Arts, for which he received their gold medal. 

" He recommends an experiment to be made, which shall demon- 
strate their advantages beyond the possibility of doubt or cavil. He 
proposes four iron railways to be laid on one of the great roads out 
of London, two of them for carts and waggons, and two for light 
carriages. To accommodate coaches and chaises he would have 
cradles or platforms with wheels adapted to the railway, on to one of 
which each carriage would drive up an inclined plane erected at the 
end of the road for that purpose. The carriage would then be drawn, 
not upon its own wheels, l3ut upon the wheels of the platform or 
cradle. 

"He calculates that a stage coach, with six inside and six outside 
passengers, would travel at the rate of six miles an hour with one 
liorse. Gentlemen's carriages with two horses would go at the rate of 
twelve or fifteen miles an hour; and if a railway were laid from 
London to Edinburgh, the mail coach would go in thirty hours. Even 
at this gr;>at speed the most timid female might trust her delicate 
frame with most perfec' security, for the carriage could not possibly be 
overturned. Anj- obstruction from hills would easily be overcome. 
Mr. Edgeworth proposes to plant a steam-engine at the top of every 
hill, which would move forward the carriages by a chain, to which they 
would be connected or detached from at pleasure." — Leeds Mercury, 
Azigust2\, 1802. 

On the 20th of January a violent sto;m of wind unroofed 

several houses, and threw down many stacks of chimneys 

in Leeds and the neighbourhood. the Mail Avas blown 

• over near Halifax, and many accidents happened elsewhere. 

The cotton and corn mill at Blackshaw head, near 
Halifax, was entirely consumed hy fire on March 3rd. 

The town of Sheffield was visited by a terrific storm of 
wind in January, 1802, and a sheet of lead, weighing 
2,000 lbs., was precipitated into the yard of the Tontine, 
and fell on the very spot where oiily a minute or two 

before the Doncaster mail had stood. March 27th. 

The definite treaty of peace was signed at Amiens, 
between Great Britain, France, Spain, and Holland, when 
general illuminations took place in all parts of the United 

Kingdom. The Flalifax volunteers were disembodied 

May 13th, and the Leeds, Wakefield, and Otley volunteers 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 205 

1802. 

on June 1st, which was a day of general thanksgiving for 
the restoration of peace, when the colours of the late 
volunteer corps at Leeds were deposited in the parish 

church. On the 5th of May, this year, another vote 

of thanks was passed by the Leeds corporation to the 
volunteer corps of cavalry and infantry. A dinner was 
also given in the Music hall, on the •29th of the same month, 
at a cost of £265. 7s., and at which 330 persons were 
present. At a court held in the following year, two 
pairs of colours were ordered to be purchased and pre- 
sented to the said corps, which was done on the moor at 
Chapel-Allerton, in the presence of the mayor, recorder, 
and corporation, together with a great number of other in- 
fluential persons. The cost of the colours amounted to 

£6\. Ss. 4d. The roof of a new mill at Austonley, 

near Holmfirth, fell in, and killed three persons, and 
dreadfully bruised several others, on November 6th, and 
three days after, the stacks and outbuildings of the Hagg 
farm, in the same neighbourhood, were destroyed by fire, 
supposed by an incendiar3^ 

The House of Recovery, in Vicar-lane Leeds, was 
founded by subscription, and opened November 1st. It is 
now used as a dram shop, and is situated opposite the 
new covered market. 

May 6th. A bill for the abolition of bull-baiting was 
thrown out of the Commons by a majority of 13; some 
members contending horse racing and hunting were more 
cruel and immoral amusements than either boxing or bull- 
baiting, but the former Avere the amusements of the rich 

and the latter of the poor I June 3rd. The parliament 

voted £10,000 to Dr. Jenner for the discovery of vaccine 
inoculation. On the same day £1200 was voted to Henry 
Greathead, ship carpenter, of South Shields, for the inven- 
tion of the life-boat; and £5000 to Dr. J. C. Smith, for his 
discovery of the nitrous fumigation for preventing the 
progress of contagious disorders, first recommended by him 

in 1795. This year Avas completed the new Methodist 

chapel, situate in Albion-street, a little belov.- Guildford- 
street, and now occupied as a warehouse by Messrs. Vance. 
The first stone was laid April 80th. 

June. A quantity of silver pennies of William the Con- 
queror were found in digging the foundation for the new 

gaol, at York. Sept. 2nd. Early in the morning of 

this day Joseph Heald and John Terry committed a most 
horrid murder on the body of Mrs. Elizabeth Smith, of 
Flanshaw, near Wakefield. They were found guilty and 

18 



206 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 
1802.-1803. 

executed at York, on Monday, March 14th, 1803. Terry 
conducted himself in the most outrageous manner, and in- 
sisted most positively that Heald was innocent. Terry's 
body was dissected at York, and that of Heald at Leeds. 

1803. Feb. 7th. Colonel Despard and nine others were 
tried in London for high treason; they were all found guilty, 
and on the 21st, colonel Despard and six others were exe- 
cuted. May IGth. Great Britain declared war against 

France, after a peace of one year and sixteen days. 

May 22nd. Bonaprirte gave orders to seize all the 
British subjects in France and in all countries occupied by 
French armies, who were to answer for those citizens of 
the republic made prisoners by the subjects of his Britannic 
majesty previous to the declaration of Avar; upwards of 
11,000 persons were said to be arrested in France in conse- 
quence of this decree. June 13th. The chancellor of 

the exchequer proposed a tax of one shilling in the 
pound on land, to be paid by the landlord ; and nine- 
pence in the pound to be paid by the tenant ; and on all 
other income of one shilling in the pound from £150 and 
upwards, which afterwards passed into a law. 

July 23rd. An insurrection took place in Dublin, at the 
head of which were Robert Emmett and others; lord 
Kilwarden, chief justice of Ireland, and his nephew, were 
murdered in Thomas-street, Dublin, by the insurgents; 
the insurrection was speedily quelled by the military. 

August 15th. Hatfield was found guilt}^ of forgery at 
Carlisle assizes, and executed 3rd September; he had 
married a young woman commonly called Mary, " the 
beauty of Buttermere," to whom, and about Keswick, he 
had passed himself as the lion, colonel A. Hope, brother 

to the earl of Hopetoun. A dreadful storm, of hail 

and wind occurred on July 20th, which unroofed several 
houses, tore up trees, and broke many windows, the 
hailstones being some of them three inches in circum- 
ference. In consequence of an act passed, requiring 

all the male inhabitants, between the ages of 17 and 55 
years, to be enrolled for the defence of the kingdom, the 
lieutenancy, magistracy, and gentry of the county of 
York, met at Leeds, and resolved to have none but 
volunteers " to stand forth to meet and resist an enemy, 
threatening us with invasion and destruction." Sub- 
scriptions were immediately opened, and new corps of 
infantry volunteers formed. The Leeds corps amounted 
to 2,402 men, and the Hudderstield, including the men 
of Upper Agbrigg, to upwards of 3,000 ; those of the 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 207 

1803. 

other towns equally numerous in proportion to their 
population. A body of volunteers, about one thousand 
strong, of which John Hardy, Esq., became colonel, was 
formed at Brad lord; the old one having- been disbanded. 
The dress of this bod}- was a scarlet coat turned up 
with white ; white breeches and ])lack leggings, and linen 
trowsers for changes ; black caps with a worsted tuft. 
It is related by impartial judges, that the Bradford vol- 
unteers, in common with most of those in the West- 
Kjding, were as Avell disciplined as regular troops. The 
Leeds subscription amounted to £1-3,000, and the ladies 
of the borough provided ever}'- man with a flannel waist- 
coat. The Wakefield and Halifax Journal was es- 
tablished this year. September 1st, The Manchester 

college was removed from Manchester to York, where 
it ^^ as placed under the direction of the Rev, Charles 

Wellbeloved, In October, Johanna Southcott, the 

prophetess of Exeter, arrived in Leeds. In this year 

there were 1,364 deaths in Leeds, and in the following 
year only 671. This decrease of mortality Avas supposed 
to have been occasioned by the introduction of vaccine 

inoculation, On January 15th and IStli, Isabella 

Holmes and Thom.as Wilcock, of Gildersome, were killed 
in Leeds, by carriages passing over them ; and on Sep- 
tember 10th, Mr. Thomas Lambert, of Elland, lost his 

life by a similar accident, at Salterhebble. The West- 

Eiding militia regiments were embodied March 30th, at 

Leeds, York, and Doncaster. An act for regulating- 

the coal trade at Leeds received the royal assent in 

March. Messrs. Taylor's cotton mill, at Gomersal, 

was burnt down April 25th. John Galloway, a Leeds 

clockmaker, who spent most of his life in a fruitless en- 
deavour to discover the grand secret of " perpetual 

motion," died May Sth. Harry Wormald, Esq., 

being elected an alderman of Leeds, on June 6th, "paid 
the customary fine of £400 to be excused." 

On July 14th, three divisions of supplementary militia 
were embodied in the three West York regiments, and 
on the same day the Leeds cavalry offered their services 
in any part of Great Britain, in case of invasion. Sub- 
scriptions were opened at York, to relieve the poor 
families of those who were balloted to serve in the army 

of reserve. This year died at York, Tate Wilkinson, 

Esq., patentee of the theatres royal York and HuU. 
Owing to his kindness to his performers, judicious in- 
structions, and punctually in pecuniary matters, his de- 



208 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 
1803.-1804. 

pendents considered him more as a father than a master. 
He excelled both as a tragedian and a mimic, and as a 
theatrical tutor he was never equalled, as has been 
testified by many of his pupils on the "London boards," 
especially the late Mr. Matthews, who, in spite of some 
natural defects, had long been in great celebrity, and 
found himself "at home" on every stage. 

War being re-commenced with France, and as Bona- 
parte continued to threaten us with invasion, all England, 
and especially London, kindled at the call of patriotism; 
the squares, gardens, and even church yards of the 
metropolis and its vicinity became places of military 
exercise, and on the 26th and 28th of October, in this 
year, the number of effective volunteers revie^Aed by 
George IIL, in Hyde park, was 27,077. Besides this 
warlike display, a patriotic fund was established in July, 
and, before the end of August, more than £152,000 was 
subscribed, towards which the corporation of the city of 

London contributed £2,500. In 1803 an act was 

passed for lighting and cleansing and preventing nui- 
sances and obstructions in the streets of Bradford, and 
making provision for the effectual watching of the town. 

1804. Jan. 26th. The Toll gate at Halifax bridge was 
removed, the cost of the bridge being liquidated, and a 

handsome sum accumulated for repairs. On May 14th, 

a melancholy accident happened at Blackshaw, near 
Halifax, to Robert SutcliflF, a poor aged weaver, who, 
having been frequently injured by his neighbours, imagined 
that his room was haunted by an evil spirit, and to allay 
which, he sent for John Hepworth, the Bradford fortune 
teller, who, after pouring human blood mixed with hairs 
into a large iron bottle, corked it tightly up, and put it 
into the fire, where it soon afterwards exploded with 
terrible violence, killed the old lAeaver, and greatly 
damaged the house, to the utter astonishment of the 

impious exorciser. On January 30th, lady Mary 

Horton presented the colours of the Halifax volunteers 
to their commander, colonel Horton; and on March 8th, 
the Leeds volunteers, commanded by colonel Lloyd, re- 
ceived their colours from the mayoress of Leeds, Mrs. 
Ikin; as also did the Upper Agbrigg volunteers from 
lady Armytage, they being under the command of Sir 

George Armytage, bart. On March 25th, Messrs. 

Ramsbottom and Swaine's extensive worsted mills at 
Bradford were nearly destroyed by fire. 

On May 19th, a wife was sold in Leeds market for 



THE SURROU^^DING DISTRICT. 209 

1804. 

five guineas, to a gentleman who well knew her merits, 
and, strange to say, she had been previously sold at the 
same place before she was born, her mother, when she 
was in embryo, being disposed of in a similar manner. 

On June Sth, as Mr. Bedford, butler to Sir G. Armytage, 
was driving his family in a gig, the horse took fright, 
upset the vehicle, and killed Mrs. B. on the spot, besides 
breaking both Mr. B.'s arms and one of his thighs, and 
■severely bruising the rest of the family. A mem- 
orable four mile race was rode at the York August 
meeting, this year, by Mrs. Thornton, (backed by the 
colonel) and Mr. Flint, the former staking 500 and the 
latter 1000 guineas. For three miles the fair jockey kept 
the lead, riding with great skill and spirit, but her horse, 
Yingarillo, having the shorter stroke of the two, began 
to lag, and perceiving that she must lose, she drew up 
in a very scientiiic manner within two distances. Up- 
AAards of 50,000 anxious spectators were on the course, 
and as much as two to one was bet upon the lady. It 
is said upwards of £200,000 depended upon this extra- 
ordinary match. ^Dec. 16th. The woollen manufactory 

at Laister Dyke was burnt dovv'n. On December 17th, 

Messrs. Atkinson's factory, fift)* yards long and three stories 
high, situated at Hunslet, was destroyed by fire, as also 
v/as the house of Mr. Olivant, at the foot of Northgate, 

'U'akefield, on December 30th. The warehouse at 

Bradley mills, near Huddersfield, was burnt down. 

Joseph Priestley, a natural philosopher and chemist, also 
a metaphysician and Unitarian divine, was born at Field- 
head, near Leeds, March 13th, 1733. He was educated at 
the Daventry academy, under the care of Dr. Ashworth. 
In his 22nd year he became assistant minister of an In- 
dependant congregation at Needham market, in Suffolk, 
and afterwards officiated as minister of a congregation at 
Kantwich, in Cheshire. In 1761 he received the post of 
tutor in the academy at Warrington, but, in 1768, he 
removed to Leeds to undertake the pastoral charge of Mill- 
hiU congregation. He had already published several works 
of value and importance on philology, history, politics, 
and physics. His "History of Electricity," published 1767, 
had proved his strict and careful enquiry into the laws of 
nature. Encouraged by the success which it met with, he 
published his " History and present state of Discoveries 
Relating to Vision, Light, and Colours," (1772.) He ac- 
cepted the office of Librarian to the earl of Shelburue, 
marquis of Lansdowne, made a tour with him on the con- 



210 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1804. 

tinent, and spent a winter with him in London. In 1773 
he published, in the "Philosophical Transactions," a 
treatise on the different kinds of air, by which he gained 
Copley's medal. It appeared in the following year in an 
augmented edition, dedicated to lord Shelburne, and ac- 
companied by three other volumes. This work, rich in new 
and important facts, formed an era in the knowledge of 
aeriform fluids, and Priestley's name became in consequence 
renowned throughout Europe. In 1774 he made the dis- 
covery, made also about the same timeby Scheele, of pure, 
or, as he called it, of dephlogisticated air. In 1776 he com- 
municated to the Royal Society some interesting remarks 
respecting the way in which blood receives its colour from 
the air. In 1778 he discovered the property possessed by 
plants standing in the sunlight, and of purifying impure 
air. He was also the author of many other discoveries. 
In 1775 appeared his " examination of the Doctrine of 
Common Sense," in ansv/er to Reid, Beattie, and Oswald. 
Soon afterwards he laid before the public " Hartley's 
Theory of the Human Mind," in a more comprehensible 
form than that in which it had been expounded by the 
author. In 1777 he published his " Disquisitions on Matter 
and Spirit." This was succeeded by " A Vindication of 
Unitarianism and of the Doctrine of Necessity." He after- 
wards took up his residence at Birmingham, and before 
long became the minister to the Unitarian congregation in 
Birmingham. He here published his "History of the Cor- 
ruptions of Christianity," and his " History of Early 
Opinions concerning Jesus Christ." The French Revolu- 
tion broke out in its fury, July 14th, 1791, when the 
friends of the French celebrated the anniversary of the 
destruction of the Bastille, in consequence of which a riot 
took place, his house, with his library, manuscripts, and 
apparatus, was burned down, and he himself narrowly 
escaped with his life. Not long afterwards he accepted 
an invitation to a congregation at Hackney, and re-com- 
menced there his accustomed pursuits, but the attacks on 
himself and his family being renewed, he determined at 
last to leave a country so hostile to his person and his 
principles. He sailed in 179-1 for America, where he died 
February 6th, 1804. Priestley was a man of perfect sim- 
plicity of character. In spite of his many controversies, 
he entertained no personal enmities, and was entirely free 
from envy and jealousy. In the intercourse of life he was 
agreeable and benevolent. His mind was active, dis- 
criminating^ and exact ; his knowledge comprehensive and 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 211 

1804.-1805. 

various ; his style in composition was very clear and fluent. 

On the 19tli of August, in this year, died the Rev. Michael 
Bacon, D.D., who was forty years vicar of AVakeficld. 

The earl of Carlisle presented the dean and chapter of 
York with some beautiful ancient painted glass, which is 
placed in one of the windows of the minster. The figures 
are as large as life, and represent the annunciation of Mary^ 
the mother of Jesus, and Elizabeth, the mother of John the 
Baptist. It was brought from the church of St. Nicholas, 
in Rouen, in Normandy, and is supposed to have been 
copied from a design by Sebastion del Piombo, the great 

favourite of Pope Clement VIII. On the 20th of May^ 

Napoleon was proclaimed emperor of the French, which 
terminated the republic of France, after it had continued 
4,136 days, one day less than the duration of the common- 
wealth of England. June 20th. A bill introduced into 

parliament for the purpose of permitting corn to be ex- 
ported when the price of wheat was at or below 48s. per 
quarter, and to be imported when the average price was 
63s. This bill afterwards passed into a law. 

1S05. On the 9th of Januarj^ died Jervas Storr, of Leeds, 
a worthy member of the society of Friends, who possessed 
an income of several hundred pounds a year, but only ex- 
pended on himself about £30 per annum, and bestowed the 
surplus on the poor, within a circuit of several miles round 
the town, where he weekly searched out the abodes of the 
indigent, and administered to them advice, bedding, 
clothing, and mone}^ in the most judicious manner. His 
spare habit, venerable grey locks, resigned countenance, 
and coarse garb, gave him the appearance of one of the 
ancient prophets, and caused him to be regarded with 
reverential deference by all who knew him, especially the 
numerous claimants on his unbounded charity, who deeply 

regretted his loss. The cotton mill at Longbottom,- 

near Halifax, was burnt down January 31st, as also was 
Hodgson's scribbling mill and forge, at Hunslet, on Feb- 
ruary 6!h. Lady Hare wood, died February 22nd. 

John Wilkinson, a clothier, of Holbeck, Avas executed at 

York, in March, for the murder of his wife. About 600 

pieces of silver coin, mostly of the reign of Edward 
I., were found under an old wall at Kuarcsbro' priory, 
and carried to Sir Thomas Slingsby, the lord of the 
manor, who generously gave the finder their intrinsic 

value. In July, Mr. William Stables, a clothier, of 

Horsforth, was murdered in his own house, and a reward 
of 100 guineas was pulDlicly offered by his brother John,. 



212 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK:, AND 

1805. 

who, however, was strongly suspected of being accessary 
to the foul deed, and, either from guilt or insanity, was 
never happy afterwards, hut hanged himself in his own 
barn in the September following. The organ in Wake- 
field church was built by Mr. William Gray, of London, and 
cost six hundred and thirty guineas. 

On November 20th, the extensive cloth mill of Benjamin 
Gott, Esq., at Armley, was entirely destroyed by fire. 

This year, earl St. Vincent, the distinguished naval com- 
mander, visited York, and received the freedom of the city 

in a box of "heart of oak." The amount of woollen 

cloth milled this year in the West-Riding Vv'as 10,079,256 

yards of broad, and 6,193,317 yards of narro^v. On 

the 29th Dec, the remains of Mr. J. Taylor, of Gomersal, 
were interred in a copse on a deciivit}", half a mile from his 
house, a spot which he had long before selected as his 

resting place. The remains of a Roman wall were 

discovered by some workmen behind the grand jury room, 
at York castle, upon which the wall that now meets the 
eye of the observer was built. At the same time a block 
of freestone, inscribed '■'■ Divitati,'" in Norman characters, 
was found, while the men were digging a drain. It was 
supposed to have been a boundary stone, and placed there 
in the reign of Y\^illiam the Conqueror. 

Battle of Trafalgar. On the 21st of October, a fleet of 
thirty-three sail, partly French and partly Spanish, met a 
British fleet of twenty-seven, under lord Nelson, off Cape 
Trafalgar, when a battle took place which resuUed in the 
defeat of the French and Spanish fleets, though at the ex- 
pense of the life of the British commander. Previous to 
the commencement of the engagement, Nelson hoisted his 
last signal, "England expects every man to do his duty." 
The contest was severe, but never was a victory more 
complete. After the battle had raged for some time, 
Nelson \\a3 vv'alking on the quarter-deck, ^vhen he was 
pierced by a shot from one of the French marksmen, not 
more than fifteen yards distant. " They have done for me 
at last, Hardy," said he. " I hope not," said Hardy. " Yes, 
he replied, my back-bone is shot through." He was imme- 
diately carried below. The cock-pit was crowded with 
wounded and dying men ; he insisted that the surgeon 
should leave him and attend to those to whom he might be 
useful. " For to me," said he, "you can do nothing." He 
lived long enough to be assured that the triumph of liis 
fleet w-as secured, and he died thanking God " that he had 
done his duty." The loss of the British amounted to 423 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 213 

1805-1806. 

killed, and 1,031 wounded. Twenty of the enemies' vessels 
struck, but through the boisterous weather which imme- 
diately followed the battle, fifteen of the prizes went down, 
one effected its escape into Cadiz, and four only were saved. 

Britain, by this victory, fixed permanently her dominion, 
over the seas and coasts of the civilized world. At this 
time however, Napoleon was asserting- with equal success 
his supremacy over continental Europe. By a sudden, 
rapid, and unexpected movement, he conducted an army 
into Germany, where the Austrians were already making- 
aggressions upon neutral territory. Ou the 17th October, 
he took the fortress of Ulm, with its artiller3% magazines, 
and garrison of 30,000 men : a month afterwards he entered 
Vienna without resistance. He then pursued the royal 
famil}', and the allied armies of Russia and Austria, into 
Moravia; and on the 2nd of December, he gained the 
decisive and celebrated victory of Austerlitz, which 
put an end to the coalition, and rendered him the dictator 
of the continent. 

1806. On Januarj' 16th, the lower parts of Leeds, Wake- 
field, &c., were inundated by the overfiowing of the rivers, 
and the bursting of the canal bank, near Huddersfield. 

Jan. 23rd. Died the right honourable "William Pitt, the 
second son of the great earl of Chatham, aged 47. 

John Gledhill, Esq., left to the poor of Chapel- Allerton 

£100, the interest to be distributed in bread. George 

Hey, the Kirkstall fortune-teller, advertised, in the most 
solemn manner, that he was " commissioned by heaven to 
announce, that on Whit- Monday, in the year 1S06, the 

world would be destroyed by torrents of fire." March 

12th. Peter Firth, a blind youth, 19 years old, ran from 
Halifax to Leeds, IS miles in two hours and 53 minutes. 

On March 20th, Musgrave and Co.'s cotton factory, in 

Simpson's fold, Leeds, was destroyed by fire. May 

5th, Peter Atkinson, of Whitkirk, a depraved youth of 15 
years of age, was executed in the city of York, for striking 
Elizabeth Stocken on the head, with the claw-end of a 

hammer. On February 17th, died, the Rev. Peter 

Thomson, minister of the Scotch church, in Albion-street, 
Leeds, where his congregation erected to his memory a 
marble monument, bearing an elegant inscription, written 
by the Rev. William Wilson, of Greenock. A fort- 
night fair for fat cattle and sheep was established at Otlc}^ 
on July 7th. Lord Milton was married to the hon- 
ourable Miss Dundas, July Sth. A fire at Woolcy 

park destroyed all the splendid and newly erected apart- 



214 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1806. 

ments of the mansion, on July 23rd. The damage amounted 

to £3,000. August 4th, John Hardy Esq., was elected 

recorder of Leeds. Sept. 13th. died, the right hon- 
ourable Charles James Fox. On September 28th, 

their royal highnesses the prince of Wales and the duke 
of Clarence arrived at Ledstone hall, near Fontefract, on 
a visit to Michael Angelo Taylor, Esq. The prince paid a 
morning visit to lady Irwin, at Temple Newsam, but was 
prevented b}'- indisposition from going to Leeds, where 
his royal brother however arrived, and, with lord Dundas 
and Mr. Taylor, visited the extensive manufactory of 
Messrs. Y/ormald, Gott, and Co., the Cloth halls, &c. The 
royal visitors had previously been at Doncaster races and 
Wentworth house. 

The following inscription on a plain tablet in theNorth- 
East corner of Eokeby's chapel, in the parish church, 
Halifax, refers to a gentleman who was long respected in 
that town, and excited the affectionate regard of the in- 
habitants : 

"Near this place, in the grave of the late Bichard Taylor, E.sq., are 
deposited the remains of Joseph Hulmk, M.D. vyho departed this 
life on the 2nd day of February, 1806, aged 92 years. He pnicti.sed 
physic in this town, with great success, about 63 j-ears. To his patients 
he was very attentive and humane ; to the poor, benevolent and 
charitable. He was ready in lending pecuniary assistance to most who 
applied to him, but slow in calling in his debts. He was a man of few 
words, yet aftable and pleasant vvith his friends. From his medical 
abilities, his general knowledge, and gentle manners, he was much 
respected by all who knew him. He was a rare instance of temperance 
and sobriety, water being his common drink from his youth, and for 
many years he never tasted animal food. Tbis strict regimen did 
not prevent his taking much exercise, and undergoing great fatigue ; 
for he was almost daily on horseback, over the neighbouring 
hills, in every reason and in all weather. Though so far advanced 
in life, yet his hand continued steady, and his judgment clear, so 
that be died not of old age, but of an acute disea.se; and in the 
blessed hope that he should not dwell for ever with corruption." 

The following inscription is Avorthy of extraction : — 
"Sacred to the memory of Jane, relict of John Caygill, Esq. of 
Shay, Halifax, and last remaining issue of 'V^illiam Seh.vyn, t^sq. 
formerly of Down Hall, E.ssex, who was lost to her afdicted family the 
25th day of July, 1806, aged 84 years. Her heart was the favourite 
residence of all the gentle and peaceful virtues : warm affection, sin- 
cere piety, benevolence and humanity dwelt there, in mental as well 
as bodily sufferings she was patient aud resigned ; to her numerous 
virtues, held in constant exercise, her relations and friends bear the 
most ample and sincere testimony, and availing ourselves of her good 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 215 

I8O6.-I8O7. 

example, may v\'e endeavour to tread with religious cheerfulness her 
peaceful footsteps, for they lead to everlasting happiness. As a tribute 
of filial veneration and atfecdon her only immediate descendant, 
lady Jane Ibbett^on, caused this monument to be erected, a.d. ISOT'." 

On November 13th, W^illiam Wilberforce, and V/alter 
Fawkes, Esqrs. were elected members of parliament for 
Yorkshire without opposition ; ^Ir. Lascelles having de- 
clined the contest. Steps mill, near Honley, was 

destroyed by lire November 14th. January 9th, the 

remains of the gallant lord Nelson were interred in St. 
Paul's cathedral. The volunteers of London on this 
occasion lined the whole way through v/hich the pro- 
cession passed. The funeral car of the hero was ex- 
ceedingly splendid. The sight of the flag of lord Nelson's 
own ship, the Victory, borne by a number of seamen who 
had been under his immediate command, excited strong 

emotions in the hearts of all who beheld it. A large 

and handsome house, witli a double flight of stone steps 
in front, and before it a neat court, with trees and shrubs, 
built on the site of a church dedicated to St. Wilfred, in 
York, was purchased this )'ear, out of the county rate, 
and appropriated to the use of the judges of assize, and 
is now called the judges' lodgings. It stands in the street 
called Lendal. 

Nov. 6th. The French emperor promulgated at Berlin 
his famous decree, interdicting all commerce betvv-een the 
British dominions and the countries subject to his control. 
By this decree also, the British islands were declared to 
be in a state of blockade : subjects of England found in 
other countries occupied by the French were declared 
prisoners of war; and all English property lawful prize. 
Letters addressed to England, or written in the English 
language, were ordered to be stopped, and vessels touching 
at England or any English colony, were excluded from 
every harbour under the control of France. The French 
emperor declared that the regulations of this decree 
" should be regarded as the fundamental law of the French, 
empire till England recognised the law of war to be one 
and the same by land and sea, and in no case applicable 
to private property, or to individuals not bearing arms ; 
and till she consented to restrict the right of blockade to 
fortified places actually invested by a sufficient force." 

ISO7. On January 24th, Messrs. Fearnley and Co.'s 
"worsted mill, at Drighlington, was burnt to the ground. 

On February 28th, jthe lieutenancy issued from Leeds, 
militia warrants for 14,000 men, to be ballot ted out of 



216 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

I8O7. 

the population of the West-Riding of the count}'^ of 

York. March 16. The bill for the abolition of the 

slave trade passed the House of Commons. The slave 
trade was abolished by France, Spain, and Holland, in 
1817- It was entirely abolished throughout the British 
dominions in 1840, when a compensation of twenty 
millions sterling was given to the slave owners. 

On March 18th, died, at East moor, near Wakefield, 
Mrs. Susannah Robshaw, aged 103 years, and mother of 
twenty-three children — three of them at a birth. 

In April, died George Mason, the noted astrologer of 
Calverley Carr, near Bradford. By bis extensive im- 
postures, he amassed several hundred pounds. On 

May 4th, Wentworth house was the scene of the most 
munificent festivity, in consequence of lord Milton, earl 
Fitzwilliam's only son and heir, having attained his 
majority. Two oxen were roasted whole in the park, 
and these, with twenty sheep, roasted in quarters, an 
immense quantity of bread and strong ale, were given 
to the multitude assembled on the lawn, whilst about 
a thousand gentry and tenants were sumptuously en- 
terfained in the house. 

On May 13th, was held in the castle yard, at York, the 
courts for the nomination of candidates for Yorkshire. 
William Wilberforce, Esq., lord Milton, and the hon. Henry 
Xascelles, (afterwards earl of Harewood) and Walter 
Fawkes, Esq. v/ere nominated ; after which one of the 
most celebrated contests in the history of electioneering 
took place. The real struggle was between Milton and 
Lascelles, for Wilberforce was an old servant, in whose 
election all parties concurred. During the fifteen days 
poll, the county was in a state of the most violent agita- 
tion, party spirit being wound up to the highest pitch by 
the friends of the two noble families, and every thing 
being done that money or personal exertion could accom- 
plish ; the roads in ail directions were covered night and 
day with coaches, barouches, curricles, gigs, fly-waggons, 
and military cars with eight horses, conveying voters from 
the most remote corners of the county. On the first day 
Mr. Lascelles polled the greater number of votes : on the 
second day lord Milton headed the poll : but on the fifth 
day Mr. Lascelles passed his opponent, and kept the lead 
till the thirteenth day, at the close of which the numbers 
stood, Milton 10,313, Lascelles, 10,255. Now the efforts 
were prodigious, and the excitement maddening. At the 
final close of the poll the numbers were as follows : — 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT, 21;7 

I8O7. 

Mr. Wilberforce, , . 11,808. 

Lord Milton, 11,177- 

Mr. Lascelles, 10,990. 

Lord Milton had nearly 9,000 plumpers. The total num- 
ber of votes tendered was 25,120, of which 23,056 were 
received. The contest cost earl Fitzwilliam and the earl 
of Harewood each upwards of £100,000. When the news 
of Milton's victory arrived in London, on the Sunday, the 
different Whig iamilies sported large orange favours 
at their horses' heads, and the ladies in Kensington 
gardens celebrated the return of the popular candidate by 
a splendid display. 

On the 19th of May, Richard Bramley, Esq., then 
mayor of Leeds, imprudently seized a boy who had 
offended him by crying "Milton for ever!" but the 
populace soon rescued the lad, and so "hustled" the 
mayor, that he immediately read the riot act, called 
out a troop of horse soldiers, and ordered them to scour 
the streets. 

On August 31st, Titley and Go's thread mill, at Hunslet, 

was destroyed by fire. On November 1st, died, in his 

90th year, the right Rev. William Markham, D.D., the 
learned and pious archbishop of York, who held the see 
thirty years. He was succeeded by the Hon. Edward Ver- 
non Harcourt In August, whilst digging for the founda- 
tion of a house, near the Mount, without r<licklegate-bar, 
York, the workmenbroke into a Roman vault about four feet 
from the surface. It was built of stone, and arched over 
with Roman bricks, with a small door of entrance at the 
north end. It was eight feet long, five feet broad, and six 
feet high. It contained a coffin of coarse ragstone grit, 
seven feet long, three feet two inches wide, four inches 
thick, and one foot nine inches deep, covered over with a 
flag of blue stone, and containing a human skeleton entire, 
with the teeth complete, supposed to have been a Roman 
female of high rank, and to have been deposited there 
from 1400 to 1700 years. Near the skull lay a small phial, 
and the fragments of another, the inside of which appeared 
to have been silvered. Near the vault was found an urn 
of a red colour, containing ashes and bones partly burnt. 

Feb. 23rd. Thirty persons were crushed to death in a 
crowd before Newgate, collected to witness the execution 
of two men named Holloway and Haggerty, who suffered 
(improperly it has since been thought) for murder. 

In this year IS persons were crushed to death, and a 

19 



318 ANNALS OF LEEDS, tORK, AND 

180/.- 1808. 

great number wounded, at Sadler's wells theatre, in con- 
sequence of some imprudent person having given a false 

alarm of fire. Ann Baynes, by will, dated September 

21st, 1807, bequeathed to the Rev. Miles Atkinson and his 
successors, ministers for the time being of St. Paul's church, 
in Leeds, £1000 upon trust, to invest the same at interest 
in the public funds, or upon parliamentary or real security, 
and to pay and divide the dividends or interest equally 
amongst such ten poor widows, residing in Leeds, as the 
said Miles Atkinson and his successors should select. 

Up to this year (1807) a custom prevailed among the 
butchers in Leeds, to kill the cattle only on Sunday and 
Monday, and to let the beef thus prepared for use supply 
not only the market on Tuesday, but also that on Saturday; 
the consequence was, that an immense quantity of meat 
in warm weather was either completely spoiled, or when 
sold was unwholesome and unfit for public use, so that a 
larger quantity of unsaleable meat was produced in Leeds 
than in any other place in England. 

1808. In January large meetings were held in the 
West-Riding, and petitions numerously signed, pray- 
ing for a return of the long absent blessings of 
peace. The Leeds petition was signed by 28,628, 
and the Huddersfield by 20,000 persons. In the dread- 
ful storm and tempests of February, many travellers per- 
ished from the severity of the frost, and the northern 
and eastern shores of the island were strewed with 

wrecks. Messrs. Ridsdale and Co.'s warehouse and 

shops, at Woodhouse, near Leeds, were destroyed by fire, 
June 22nd ; as also was a large corn warehouse, with 
5,000 quarters of grain belonging to Webster and Co., of 
Wakefield, on Oct. 10th : the damage committed by the 
latter conflagration was about £15,000. 

The "devilish practices" of Mary Bateman, commonly 
called the Yorkshire witch, who had long resided in Camp 
field, Leeds, were this year exposed before the magistrates 
of that town. She was the daughter of a small farmer 
named Harker, of Aisenby, near Thirsk, and was born in 
1768. From her earliest years she was addicted to pil- 
fering and other villanous acts. In 1792 she married, after 
a courtship of three weeks, John Bateman, an honest hard 
working man. They took up their residence in Leeds, 
when Mary became a professed fortune-teller. In this 
capacity she swindled the credulous by wholesale, and her 
crimes even to murder were not a few. She was, how- 
ever, always cunning enough to keep out of the reach of 



THE SURKOUNDINQ DISTRICT. 21flt» 

180S. 

the law. Daring the time she lodged in High Court lane, 
Leeds, she stole from a fellow lodger a watcli, a silver 
spoon, and two guineas. After a tire in Leeds, in 1795, 
she obtained from the benevolent a large quantity of sheets 
and money, under the pretence that she was coilecting for 
the sufferers. 8he sought to attract notice daring her 
residence in the Black Dog yard, Bank, by producing an egg 
on which was inscribed the words " Crist is Coming.'' It 
was shown to crowds of visitors who ])aid from a penny 
to a shilling for the sight. In 1S03 Mary had frequently to 
assist two maiden ladies named Kitchin, who were drapers 
in St. Peter's square. They were taken suddenly ill and 
died, and their mother, who had come from a distance to 
attend them, also died. Mary told the neighbours they 
had died of the plague, and people in consequence shunned 
the house; but it is supposed they were poisoned. One 
Judith Cryer, who had a reprobate son, gave Mary £4, 
(and pawned her bed for the purpose), in order that he 
might be kept from being hung, which the fortune-teller 
said was his fate. To save the son of a Mrs. Snowden 
from a similar fate, she obtained twelve guineas and a silver 
watch. A gentleman, living in Meadow-lane, one day 
bought a leg of mutton at the Shambles, and requested 
that it might be sent home immediately. Mary, over- 
hearing the bargain, hastened to Leeds bridge, where she 
"waited for the butcher's bo3^ On his approach she made 
to him in a great hurry, pretended that she was the gen- 
tleman's servant, scolded the boy for being so long on the 
road, took the mutton by the shank, gave the lad a bump 
on the back and said she should take it home herself. Of 
course the gentleman had to postpone his dinner hour in 
consequence. She once produced to her husband a letter 
which professed to be from Thirsk, stating that his father 
was dying. The son at once went to pay the last respects 
to his dying parent, but, on his arrival, found to his 
astonishment that he was very well. On his return, how- 
ever, his wife had stripped his house and sold every article 
of furniture in it. Her own brother had deserted from the 
militia, and Mary wrote to her mother stating that he had 
been arrested as a deserter, and that £10 would be required 
for his release. The money was sent, and Mary used it 
for her own purposes. The crowning crime, however, 
of this abominable woman was practised on the ill- 
fated family of William Perigo, a small clothier at 
Bramley, whose wife was supposed to labour under 
an evil wish. This was in the year 1806. For up- 



220 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1808. 

wards of nine months Mary, (aided by an imaginary 
personage, to whom she gave the name of Miss Blythe), 
held Perigo and his wife in her toils, now exciting their 
hopes, then rousing their fears, but all the time draining 
their purse, till she had got from them £70 in money, (ail 
they had in the world), and remorselessly stripped the 
house of its furniture, and the inmates of their best ap- 
parel. At length, when they had nothing more to give, 
and when they became clamorous for the fultilment of those 
promises of happiness and prosperity, which the evil spirit 
by whom they were plundered had held out to them, she 
took the desperate resolution to silence their importunities 
and avoid detection by terminating their lives. "With this 
purpose, and under the pretence of administering a charm, 
she gave them poison to mix in their food. Both Perigo 
and his wife partook of the honey and the pudding in 
which the noxious drug was infused ; she to the loss of 
her life, and he to the injury of his constitution. The 
death of Perigo's wife dissipated the delusion under which 
he had so long laboured. He laid his case before the magis- 
trates at Leeds, and Mary was committed to York. On 
the 17th of March, 1809, she was tried for the wilful murder 
of Rebecca Perigo, and, being convicted on the clearest 
evidence, she was ordered for execution on the Monday 
following. The artifice and falsehood of this base woman 
was shown even after sentence of death. She stated to 
the judge that she was pregnant; the law being in such 
cases that if the delinquent be four months and a half ad- 
vanced in that state, she shall not be executed until after 
her accouchment. The judge at once ordered a jury of 
twelve married females to be impanneled to ascertain the 
truth or falsehood of the statement. Their verdict was, 
that *'Mary Bateman was not enceinte"; her youngest 
child was only ten months old. At the appointed time she 
was executed at York. She was launched into eternity 
with a lie upon her lips, having denied her guilt to the 
last. Her body was given for dissection to the surgeons 
pf the Leeds infirmary. 

. The Rev. "William Wood, F.L.S., who succeeded Dr. 
Priestley at the Mill-hill chapel, Leeds, died April 1st, 
aged 63 years. He for some time conducted the natural 
history department of the Annual Review, and furnished 
many of the articles on botany in Ree's Cycloptsdia. 
Memoirs of his life and writings have been published by 
the Rev. Charles Wellbeloved formerly of the Manchester 
college, in York. The Northern society for the en- 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 22X 

1808.-1809. 

couragement of the fine arts was established in Leeds, on 
March 4th, but discontinued after three exhibitions. 

Sept. 5th. Bradley mills, near Huddersfield, were de- 
stroyed by fire. At the dissolution of the company of 

cordwainers at York, this year, its members presented a 
very fine cup or bowl to Mr. Sheriff Hornby, of that city, 
as a token of esteem. This elegant piece of plate he soon 
afterwards presented to the minster. In the middle of it 
the cordwainer's arms are richly embossed. It is edged 
with silver, doubly gilt, and ornamented with three silver 
feet. It was originally given to the above company by 
archbishop Scroope, in 139S. 

The amazing successes of Napoleon having inspired him 
with the idea of universal empire, he went so far as to de- 
throne the reigning family of Spain, and gave the crown 
to his elder brother Joseph. Under a sense of wrong and 
insult, the Spanish people rose in revolt against the French 
troops. In pursuance of a treaty entered into between 
England and the provisional government of Spain, a small 
army was landed August 8th, ISOS, in Portugal, which 
had been recently taken possession of by the French. Sir 
Arthur Wellcsley, who afterwards became so famous as 
duke of Wellington, was the leader of this force. The 
first resistance encountered was at Rolica, where the 
French general, Laborde, resolutely defended some difficult 
tangled passes, retiring slowly step by step, and inflicting 
great loss upon the British, who could not, from the nature 
of the ground, return his incessant and well-directed fire 
with any effect. Laborde retreated rapidly and skillfully, 
before the English could reach him in any sufficient force. 
In an engagement at Vimeria, on the 21st of August. Sir 
Arthur repulsed the French, under Junot, who soon after 
agreed, by what was called the convention of Cintra, to 
evacuate the country; Sir Arthur being recalled, the 
British army was led into Spain under the command of 
Sir John Moore, but this ofiicer found the reinforcements 
poured in by Napoleon too great to be withstood, and ac- 
cordingly, in the end of December, he commenced a 
disastrous though well-conducted retreat towards the 
port of Corunna, whither he was closely pursued by 
marshal Soult. The British army suffered on this occasion 
the severest hardships and losses, but did not experience 
a check in battle or lose a single standard. 

1809. In a battle which took place at Corunna, Jan. 16th, 
this year, for the purpose of protecting the embarkation of 
the troops, Sir John Moore was killed. In April war was 



222 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1809. 

declared by Austria against France. Upwards of half a 
million of men were brought into the Meld, under the 
command of the archduke Charles. Bonaparte moved 
rapidly into Germany, and, by the victory of Eckmilhl, 
opened up the way to Vienna, which surrendered to him. 
The decisive encounter was at "Wagram, where the strength 
of Austria was completely broken to pieces. The peace 
which succeeded, was sealed by the marriage of Napoleon 
to Maria Louisa, daughter of the emperor of Austria, for 
which purpose he divorced his former wife Josephine. 
Taking advantage of the absence of Napoleon in Austria, 
a considerable army, was landed at Lisbon, April 23rd, 
under the command of Sir Arthur Y/ellesley, who soon 
surprised marshal Soult at Oporto, caused him to make a 
hurried retreat, which soon changed into a headlong flight, 
and inflicting the most dreadful misery and ruin on the 
fugitives. After driving Soult out of Portugal, Sir Arthur 
then made a rapid move upon Madrid. On hearing of the 
disaster which had befallen Soult, king Joseph advanced 
■with a considerable force under the command of marshal 
Victor; and on the 28th July, attacked the British and 
Spanish troops at Talavera. The contest was obstinate 
and bloody, and though the French did not retreat, the 
advantage lay with the British. The loss on both sides 
was immense. On the British side generals Mackenzie 
and Langv/orth fell, and the entire casualities amounted 
to 5,423 men. The French loss was infinitely greater — 
said to have been at least 10,000 men. For this battle and 
the passage of Doura, the British general M^as elevated to 
a peerage under the title of baron Doura, and viscount 
Wellington, of Talavera. On the 10th of February follow- 
ing, the House of Commons voted lord Wellington £2,000 
a year with succession for two generations. Immediately 
after the battle. Sir Arthur fell back upon Portugal, where 
he occupied a strong position near Santarem. 

There is in the Leeds parish church a most beautiful 
cenotaph, by J. Flaxman, Esq., R.A., which cost upwards 
of £600, erected to the memory of two lamented young 
officers, who were killed at the battle of Talavera. The 
monument represents a weeping victory, as large as life, 
seated on a cannon, and supporting her head upon her 
right hand, which rests on a banner inscribed with the 
word " Talavera,''' between two wreaths. Underneath is 
a lion in basso-relievo, and on the base the following in- 
scription : — 

'' To the memory of captain Samuel Walker, of the 3rd regt. of 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. ^ 223 

1809. 

guards, and captain Eichard Beckett, of the coldstream regt. of guards, 
natives of Leeds ; who, having bravely served their country together 
in Egypt, Germany, Denmark, and Portugal, fell in the prime of life, 
at the glorious battle of Talavera, in Spain, on the 28th of July, 1809. 
Their fellow townsmen dedicate this monument." 

The first authorisation of a railway by act of parlia- 
ment is said to have been that of the Surrey railway, 
an iron track laid from Merstham to Wandsworth, in 
1S09 ; and of a short line from Cheltenham to Gloucester. 

In the autumn of this year the British government 
despatclied an armament of 100,000 men, for the pnrpose 
of securing a station which should command the naviga- 
tion of the Scheldt. The army having disembarked on 
the insalubrious island of Walcheren, was swept off in 
thousands by disease. The survivors returned in Decem- 
ber without having done anything towards the object 
for which they set out. In 1S09 the act of parlia- 
ment of the 49th Geo. III., cap. 122, was passed, en- 
titled "An act to amend and enlarge the powers of an 
act passed in the thirtieth year of his present majesty, 
for better supplying the town and neighbourhood of 
Leeds, in the county of York with water; and for more 
effectually lighting and cleansing the streets and other 
places within the said town and neighbourhood, and for 
removing and preventing nuisances and annoyances 
therein ; and for erecting a court-house and prison for 
the borough of Leeds, and for widening and improving 
the streets and passages in the said town." 

July 6th. During the repair of the Leeds parish church, 
a stone coffin, supposed to have lain in the ground 700 
years, was found under the entrance to the bell chamber. 
It was hewn out of a solid block of stone, and contained 
a perfect skeleton, with some other human bones, in 
good preservation, so completely had the air been ex- 
cluded from them. June 21st. Died at Stamford, 

Mr. Daniel Lambert; he was in his fortieth year. He 
weighed upwards of fifty-two stone. His coffin was six 
feet four inches long, four feet four inches wide, and 
two feet four inches deep, was built on two axle trees, 
"with four wheels, and upon these his remains were 

rolled into the grave. July 12th. Captain Barclay 

finished his feat of walking 1000 miles in 1000 successive 
hours, at Newmarket; £100,000 is supposed to have 
changed hands on this occasion. 

The Wesleyan conference having passed a resolution 
condemning the holding of camp meetings by members 



224 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1809. 

of the society, excluded two brothers named Bourne 
from that conference. The Primitive Methodist society- 
originated in consequence, in this year. On the 13th of 
February, 1812, at a meeting called to make some of 
the necessary arrangements for the new society, the 
name of Primitive Methodists was assumed, and it was 
found that the society included at that period thirty- 
four places and twenty-three preachers. The following 
is said to be the origin of the name of Ranters, by 
which this body is designated in so many places : — 
At Belper several meetings for prayer were held in 
1814, and " when these meetings were closed, the 
praying people, in returning home, were accustomed to 
sing through the street. This circumstance procured 
them the name of Ranters ; and the name of Ranter, 
which first arose on this occasion, afterwards spread 
very extensively." 

Jan. 16th. Mr. Joseph Lancaster gave a lecture on his 
plan of educating the poor, at the Leeds Music hall, on 
Feb. 3rd. Schools on the " Laucasterian plan " were 
soon afterwards established in most of the large towns 

in Yorkshire and other counties. On June 30th, a 

most lamentable accident occurred in Lee, Watson, and 
Co.'s coal mine at East Ardsley, near Wakefield, owing 
to the miners breaking through into some old workings, 
whence there rushed upon them an immense body of 
water with such force, that three boys only, who hap- 
pened to be at the bucket, could immediately escape its 
overwhelming fury, leaving behind them eleven men 
and three boys, of whose safety but very faint hopes 
were entertained by their distracted relatives, who stood 
in painful solicitude at the pit mouth during the three 
days occupied in draining the mine, for which purpose, 
two powerful engines were set to work, and the colliers 
from all the neighbouring pits used every exertion to 
save, if possible, their immured brethren, who, it was 
supposed, might possibly be alive in some of the chambers 
above the inundated passages of the mine ; but only 
four out of the fourteen were extricated alive from 
their perilous situation, in which the}'^ had existed three 
days and three nights in the darksome bowels of the 
earth, without rest or sustenance, except a little bread 
which one of them happened to have in his pocket, aud 
which he generously gave to his three companions, 
whilst he allayed his own hunger with some tobacco. 
Two of the lost men were some time alive with the 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 225- 

1809. 

less unfortunate four, but were drowned in attempting 
to make their way out before the water had sufScieutly 
subsided. 

July 27th. A dreadful thunderstorm was partially felt at 
Leeds, and was most tremendous about seven miles to the 
south-east. Several houses at Garforth were struck with 
the lightning, and among others, that of Mr. Collett ; the 
electric fluid struck the chimney, and went through the 
wall, which it damaged in several places ; it then took 
another direction, broke a chair and some china, and again 
penetrated the wall. Mr. and Mrs. Collett had scarcely 
quitted the room in which they had been sitting, when the 
lighting entered the apartment, and overwhelmed every- 
thing in its destructive course. The house of Thomas 
Webster was also much shattered, and two cows killed. 
At Barwick in Elmet, the house of Mr. Thomas Stoner was 
greatly shattered, and a collier standing in his house had 
his shoe-string burnt by the electric spark. Mrs. Stoner 
had engaged a party to tea the same afternoon, but had re- 
versed her invitation at the entreaty of one of her friends, 
and had gone to visit a neighbour, v/hen the room in which 
her party would have sat vv as shattered with the lightning. 
A tree under which a number of hay-makers had imprudently 
sheltered themselves, was shivered a few moments after 
they had quitted their shelter. A man and his wife at Kip- 
pax, sitting at opposite sides of the fire, had a dog killed 
betv.-een them, though they both escaped unhurt. 

Oct. 25th, being the day on which the Koyal Jubilee was 
celebrated, the towns of Yorkshire were not behind the 
rest of the kingdom in public manifestations of loyalty and 
affection to their venerable monarch, George III. 

Joe Brov/n, the ^ve\\ known " church watcher," was exe- 
cuted at York, for poisoning a Vv^oman with whom he lodged, 
at Leeds. The better to impose upon the unwary, he for 
some time wore the garb of religion, but being expelled the 
society he had joined, he attached himself to a young man 
of dissolute character, and they, to avoid a Avarrant against 
them for burglary, disguised themselves as fortune-tellers ; 
Joe personating the deaf and dumb, and the other the in- 
terpreter. They were supposed to be the murderers of the 
Leeds and Selby carrier, but murder was not proved against 
them till Joe confessed his crimes, when about to embark 

under a sentence of transportation. Ensign Henry 

Whitham, of the Craven volunteer.^, wrh drowned in the 
Ouse, at York, where his brother officers erected in the 
minster a white marble tablet to his memory. 



226 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1810 

1810. Early in this year, Napoleon reinforced the army iu 
Spam, and gave orders to Massena, to " drive the British 
out of the Peninsula." Wellington posted his troops on the 
heights of Busaco — eighty thousand in number, including 
Portuguese — and there, on the 27th of September was at- 
tacked by an equal number of French. Both British and 
Portugese behaved well : the French were repulsed with 
great loss. Wellington now retired to the lines of Torres 
Vedras, causing the whole country to be desolated as he 
went for the purpose of embarrassing the French. When 
Massena observed the strength of the British position, he 
hesitated; and ultimately, in the spring of 1811, performed 
a disastrous and harrassed retreat into the Spanish terri- 
tory. Sir Francis Burdett, member for AVestminster, 

was this year committed to the Tower, by a warrant from 
the Speaker of the house of Commons, for having made 
some accrimonious remarks in a letter (which Avas voted a 
libel on the house) to his constituents, relative to the exclu- 
sion of strangers from the House of Commons during the 
inquiries into the Walcheren expedition. Sir Francis 
denying the legality of the warrant, resisted its execution 
by remaining in his own house, where he was protected 
from the officers by immense crowds of people. After 
suffering a kind of siege for two days, he was forcibly taken 
b}'^ a large train of soldiers, and lodged in the Tower. By 
these proceedings, the capital was convulsed for several days 
and in the course of the tumults which took place, a number 
of lives were lost. 

Feb. 11th. Sir Thomas Gascoigne, of Parlington hall, died 
of grief for the loss of his only son, who was killed by a 

fall from his horse a short time before. Feb. 14th, two 

horse-dealers, Mr. Watkinson, of Cheshire, and Mr. Isaac 
Tetley, of Leeds, returning from Northallerton fair, rode 
their horses from Harewood Bridge to liceds, (nine miles) 
in twenty-six minutes and 12 seconds, for a wager of twenty 

guineas; the former won by half a length. On May 

r2th, died Hannah Green, of Yeadon, a noted sybil, called 
the Linghoh JVitch, who, during 40 years' practice in the art 
of fortune-telling, amassed upM^ards of £1000. 

A pewter chalice was found in Brotherton church-yard, 
supposed to have been interred with some distinguished 
leader in the civil wars of 1461. 

On the 27th of April, this year, died that remarkable and 
extraordinary man, John Metcalfe, (usually called blind 
Jack, of Knaresborough), aged 93. He was born on the 
15th of August, 1717. At the age of six years he had the 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 227 

1810. 

small pox, which rendered him totally blind. Before he 
had attained the age of manhood he became famous as a 
traveller, (without a guide) hunter,racer, swimmer, fiddler, 
card player, cock fighter, &c. One evening in the year 
1735, he undertook to be guide to a gentleman from York 
to Harrogate, and performed the task wdthout his com- 
panion having discovered that he was blind. It was quite 
common for him to travel on foot alone from Skipton over 
the Forrest moor to Knaresbro', or, from Ripon to Knares- 
bro'. He once travelled from London to Knaresbro' on 
foot without a guide. In the early part of his career he 
used to travel to the sea coast for fish, which he took to 
Leeds and Manchester to sell. He once travelled on horse- 
back from Knaresbro' to Newcastle-upon-Tyne in a day, 
a distance of 74 miles. At the age of 21 he stood above 
six feet high, and was very robust. His runaway wedding 
with a Miss Benson, on the eve of her marriage to another 
man, caused much gossip at the time of its occurrence, 
and no little consternation to the bride's relatives, who 
'were well to do. He lived in conjugal felicity with his 
wife 39 years. In 1745 he became a soldier, and travelled 
in the ranks in England and Scotland. In 1754 he started 
a stage waggon between York and Knaresbro', and con- 
ducted it himself twice a week. He subsequently became 
famous as a projector and constructor of public highways, 
bridges, &c. A few out of a vast number of his works 
were, the making of part of the turnpike road from 
Harrogate to Boroughbridge. He made a road between 
Harrogate and Harewood bridge; made a mile and a half 
of the road from Chapeltown to Leeds, and lengthened 
the arch of Sheepscar bridge ten feet ; made two miles of 
Burley-road ; made a road between Hudder^field and 
Wakefield ; and part of the road between Wakefield and 
Halifax. Previous to his death, he published a memoir of 
his own life, dictated by himself. 

In a dreadful storm, on Aug. 4th, several houses in Hol- 
beck and in Hunslet-lane, Leeds, were much injured by 
lightning, which scorched and wounded some of the inhabi- 
tants. Aug 15th. Joshua Beaumont, of Kirkheatou, was 

hanged at York, for committing a rape, and afterwards 
murdering Lucy Brooke, of Aldmoubury, a widow, aged 56. 
In September, the follov/ing Banking-houses stopped pay- 
ment, viz. : Seaton, Sons, and Foster, of Pontefract; Seaton, 
Brooke, and Co., of Huddersfield; and Seaton, Foster, and 
Co., of Selby. During the year there were no fewer than 
1912 bankruptcies in the kingdom ; so general was the 
distress brought upon the nation by a long war. 



228 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 
1810..1811. 

On December 10th, the lord mayor of York laid the first 
stone of the new Ouse bridge, which was finished in 1820, 

and the toll abolished in 1829. Nov. 2nd. Died, aged 

27, the princess Amelia, yonngest daughter of Geo. III. 

1811. On February 3rd, the wool combers of Bradford 
kept the septennial festival of St. Blaise. St. Blaise 
was a bishop of Sebaste, in Armenia, and suffered 
martyrdom a.d. 316. He is the patron saint of the craft 
of wool combers, and his name was once considered 

potent in curing sore throats. On Feb. 4th, at 

Shipley, near Bradford, a steam-engine boiler burst in 
the Providence mill, and killed five young persons. 

Died on the 6th Feb., the Rev. Miles Atkinson, A.B., 
minister and founder of St. Paul's church, in I ^eds, and 
vicar of Kippax. It was owing principally to his ex- 
ertions that Sunday schools were established in Leeds, 
where he was so long a useful and exemplary minister. 
His works were collected and published in 2 vols. 8vo., 

with a memoir prefixed. The Halifax Journal, a well 

written and impartial weekly newspaper, was discontinued 
Feb. 23rd, after existing nearly ten years. That stu- 
pendous work of art, the tunnel of the Huddersfield canal, 
was finished April 4th, after a labour of eighteen years. 

It became an object of importance with Wellington, 
early in this year, to obtain possession of the Spanish 
fortresses which had been seized by the French. On the 
22nd of April, he reconnoitred Badajos, and soon after laid 
seige to Almeida. Marshal Massena, advancing to raise 
the seige, was met on fair terms at Fuentes d'Onoro, May 
5th, and repulsed. Almeida, consequently fell into the 
hands of the British. General Beresford, at the head of 
another body of British forces, gained the bloody battle of 
Albeura (a description of which is given below) over Soult, 
and thereby protected the seige of Badajos, which how- 
ever, was soon after abandoned. During the same season, 
general Graham, in command of a third body of troops, 
gained the battle of Barossa. General Hill had also a 
dashing enterprise at Arroyo de Molinos, where the gallant 
officer surprised Girard, dispersed his force, captured all 
his cannon, and 1700 cavalry of the Imperial guard. At 
the end of a campaign, in which the French were upon 
the whole unsuccessful, Wellington retired once more into 
Portugal. 

Battle of Albeura. On the 16th of May, 1811, was fought 
the battle of Albeura — one of the bloodiest conflicts upon 
record. Marshal Beresford was at the head of the allied 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 229 

1811. 

forces consisting of about 31,000 men, and marshal Soult 
commanded 23,000 veteran French troops. The battle 
commenced at nine o'clock in the morning- and continued 
until two in the afternoon. The enemy commenced the 
attack by marching a strong body of cavalry and a division 
of infantry opposite the allied right. The British guns in 
the centre, at once opened upon the moving mass and 
ploughed through its columns with great effect ; but still 
the enemy pressed on. The Spaniards were at length put 
in disorder at all points, and the whole heights on which 
they stood fell into the enemy's hands, who immediately 
placed their batteries in such a position as to command 
the whole field of battle. General Wm. Stewart bravely 
but rashly endeavoured to restore the battle, and pushing" 
his brigade up the hill he mounted for greater dispatch by 
columns of companies. The French light cavalry literally 
cut to pieces each regiment as it crowned the ridge. 
All seemed now lost. The allies v/ere all in confusion, 
and to make matters worse, a Spanish and English 
regiment were tiring in mutual error, upon each other. 
Orders were being issued by Beresford to commence a re- 
treat, when colonel Hardinge saw that the battle might 
yet be won, and, without the marshal's permission, he 
ordered the fourth division and a brigade of the 2nd to 
advance. These brave men attacked the French on both 
flanks as well as in front. For a moment the storm of 
grape poured from Ruty's well-served artillery staggered 
the fusileers; but it was only for a moment, though Soult 
rushed into the thickest of the fire and encouraged and 
animated his men ; though the cavalry gathered on their 
flank and threatened it Avith destruction, on went those 
noble regiments, volley after volley falling into the 
crowded ranks of the enemy, and cheer after cheer pealing 
to heaven in answer to the clamorous outcry of the French, 
as the boldest urged the others forward. Unable to bear 
the withering fire, the shattered columns of the French 
were no longer able to sustain themselves — the masses 
were driven over the ridge — and trampling each other 
down, the shattered column sought refuge at the bottom 
of the hill. The battle was ended, and on that bloody 
height stood the conquerors. The loss of the allies in 
killed and wounded was more than 6000 men. The enemy 
had two generals of division killed and five wounded, and 
their loss was 9,500 men. Both armi; s claimed a victory; 
but the title rested indubitably with the allies. 

On June 1st, a storm of wind blew down ten stately 

20 



230 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1811. 

oaks at Calverley lodge. June 4th. His royal high- 
ness George prince of Wales, when prince regent, present- 
ed the city of York with a full length likeness of himself, 
habited m the robes of the garter, and accompanied with 
his black valet, painted by Hoppner. It was presented to 
the lord mayor and commonalty, to be placed in their 

state-room. At five o'clock in the morning of the 25th 

of June, this year, Sir John Throckmorton, bart., presented 
two sheep to Mr. Coxeter, of Greeuham mills, Newbury, 
Berks, for the purpose of proving that a coat could be 
made from the wool before night. The sheep were im- 
mediately shorn, and the wool being sorted, &c., it passed 
through the usual process of scouring, dyeing, scribbling, 
spinning, (on the jenny) weaving, (by hand) and a fine 
kersey cloth was manufactured before four o'clock in the 
afternoon. The cloth was then put into the hands of 
tailors, who completed the coat at twenty minutes past 
six, and Sir John had the pleasure of appearing in it at a 
public dinner at seven ! 

June 27th. In the house of peers, lord Stanhope brought 
in a bill to make it illegal to give more money for guineas, 
half-guineas, &c. than the value they lawfully bear; and 
to make it also illegal to take bank of England notes at a 
less value than they purport to be equal thereto; this bill 

afterwards passed both houses of parliament. On the 

15th of July, the remains of Sir Thomas Pilkington, bart., 
of Chevet, were interred in Wakefield church, in the vault 
which was built by Sir John Pilkington, knight, in 1745. 

Wm. Hodgson, a youth of 19 years, was condemned at 
York, for a rape on a stout single woman, (Harriet Halli- 
day) but as the public feeling was much against the prose- 
cution, Avhich was supposed to be the result of malice, the 
Judge respited the execution of his sentence till Nov. 23rd, 
previous to which the distressed prisoner received the royal 
clemency on condition of entering the army : his discharge 

was purchased soon after. On August 2oth, Messrs. 

Tennant, Shaw, and Cobb's works, at Hillhouse, bank, 
Leeds, were burnt to the ground, as also was Hutchinson 
and Go's scribbling mill, at Holbeck, on August 29th, 
together with the dwelling-house of the resident partner. 

On Sept. 2nd, the first stone of the Leeds court house 
and prison was laid by the mayor and corporation. It is 
a massive stone building, and was completed iu 1813, from 
designs by Mr. Taylor, then an architect of Leeds. The 
principal front consists of a centre and two wings ; the 
former has a portico of four Corinthian columns, support- 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 231 

1811. 

ing a pediment. The wings have panels, highly wrought 
in has relief, containing the fleece, the emblem of the town, 
and the fasces, as the insignia of justice, &c. The base- 
ment story, which is entirely arched with stone, consists 
of an open ground arcade, adjoining which are cells for 
prisoners. Above is the police office. The gaoler's house 
&c., commands the prison court. The principal law courts, 
&c., have been held in the upper stories. It is no longer a 
corporate building, all the business having been removed 
(1859) to the Town Hall. 

Sept. 9th, died, aged 56, Sir W. M. Milner, bart., of Nun 
Appleton, who served the office of lord mayor of York in 
rjSJ, and again in 179S, and was elected representative 

for that city in 1/90. Hudderstield parish church was 

re-pewed, and graced with a new organ. Feb. 6th. 

The prince of Vt^'ales was sworn into the office of prince 

regent. The workshop of Messrs. Butterworth, Live- 

sey, and Butterworth, engravers, Leeds, was struck by 
lightning; the electric matter being discharged down a bell 
wire, near a cupboard, containing glass, china, silver tea- 
spoons, and a britannia metal tea-pot; the spoons, being 
laid across each other, were partially fused at the points 
of intersection, and adhered firmly together. A circular 
hole was melted in the side of the tea-pot, and the cup- 
board wrenched from the wall. A number of flower pots, 
containing shrubs, &c. were driven from their places in the 
window seat with great violence, and dashed against the 
wainscot on the opposite side of the sitting room. Mrs. 
Dinah and Mrs. Ann Butterworth were seated near the 
cupboard, but providentially sustained no injury. John 
Atkinson, an apprentice, who afterwards wrought many 
years in the bank of England, where he died, was struck 
by the lightning, forced from the seat on which he was 
working, and deprived of the use of both his legs ; to which 
he was however restored in a considerable degree, in 
little more than a week. One of his employers, Mr. Wra. 
Butterworth, had been previously twice struck with the 
same powerful agent, when traversing the mighty deep. 

A very remarkable comet discovered by Haiigergues was 
visible this year, from March to October. On September 
7th, it presented a tail 50 degrees in length, bent off in two 
branches. These branches did not proceed from the comet 
itself; but were hung together at a slight distance from 
it, and separated from it by a dark interval, so that they 
enclosed the comet as a parabola does its focus. Septem- 
ber 20th, the tail was 10 degress. The first week in 



23-2 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1811.-1812. 

October the tail was 25 degrees long, and about 6 degrees 

broad. It was supposed to have a considerable influence 

on the heat of the weather, in September and October, 

being within 100,000,000 miles of the earth. 

In 1811 Mr, Blenkinsop, of Leeds, constructed a locomo- 
tive steam-engine, for which he took out a patent. A racked 
or tooth rail was laid along one side of the road, into which 
the toothed wheel of his locomotive worked as pinions work 
into a rack. The boiler of his engine was supported by a 
carriage with four wheels without teeth, and rested im- 
mediately upon the axles. The wheels were entirely inde- 
pendent of the working parts of the engine, and therefore 
merely supported its weight on the rails, the progress being 
effected by means of the cogged wheel working into the 
cogged rail. Mr. Blenkinsop's engines began running on 
the railway extending from the Middleton collieries to 
the town of Leeds, a distance of about three miles and a 
half, on the r2th of August, 1812. They continued for many 
years to be one of the principal curiosities of the neigh- 
bourhood, and were visited by strangers from all parts. 
In the year 1816, the grand duke Nicholas (afterwards Em- 
peror) of Russia, observed the working of Blenkinsop's 
locomotive with curious interest and expressions of no 
slight admiration. An engine dragged behind it as many 
as thirty coal waggons at a speed of about three miles and 
a quarter per hour. 

1812. On the 19thof January, OmcZac^i^ocZri^o, in Spain, sur- 
rendered to the British troops under lord Wellington, after 
a siege of 12 days. The sacrifice of life was very severe. 
The casualties attendant on the siege and storm amounted 
to above 1,000; in addition to which large numbers were 
killed after the place was taken, by the accidental explosion 
of a magazine; 80 French officers, and 1,500 men were 
taken prisoners. On the 27th of March, Badajoz sur- 
rendered to the English, after a siege of ten days. The loss 
of the victors in killed and wounded amounted to 5,000 men. 
1300 of the French were killed and wounded, and 4,000 
were taken prisoners. 

In the beginning of July, the opposing armies once more 
gradually approached each other near Salamanca. A contest 
of manoeuvres took place on the Formes, in which neither 
side for some time gained any advantage. At length, on 
the 22nd of July, lord Wellington becoming utterly destitute 
of the means of keeping the field, determined to retreat to 
Ciudad Rodrigo. Marmont perceiving this, despatched 
Thomiere's corps d'armee with fifty guns, by a circuitous 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 233 

1812. 

route to turn the left of the British army, and thus to prevent 
its retreat. B}^ this move Thomiere's corps d'armee extend- 
ing two or three miles in length, was severed from the 
main body of Marmont's troops. This blunder was an 
enormous one, and the British general after an exulting ex- 
clamation of " At last I have them ! " hastened to take ad- 
vantage of the error. Staff-officers went off at a galop in 
ever)^ direction; the iuiantry stood to their arms; the 
cavalry vaulted to their saddles ; the artillery unlimbered; 
and Marmont's weakened army was instantly attacked in 
overwhelming force. The French marshal saw his error, 
and officer after officer was despatched to command the re- 
turn of Thomiere. They never reached him. As the head 
of Thomiere's heading column emerged upon the Ciudad, 
Eodrigo road, where they expected to find the British in 
full retreat, general Pakeuham fell like a thunderbolt upon 
his rear, and rolled up the long straggling line with hideous 
slaughter, to which no effectual resistance could be opposed. 
Marmont's heart died within him at the sight. Brave as 
steel he struggled desperately to maintain the combat, but 
the explosion of a shell grievously wounding him, he was 
carried out of the battle. Clausel succeeded to the command, 
but the fortune of the day could not be changed. The 
French army was utterly defeated, and driven off the field 
with the loss of two eagles, eleven pieces of artillery, 
7,000 prisoners, and a vast number of slain and wounded 
men. The total number of the killed, wounded, and missing 
of the allied troops was 7,264, of whom 690 British, S04 
Portuguese, and two Spanish were killed; and 4,270 British, 
1552 Portuguese, and four Spanish wounded. 

On the 12th of August following, ^Vellington made his 
triumphant entry into Madrid, amidst the acclamations of 
the inhabitants, and was immediately afterwards appointed 
generalissimo of the Spanish armies. On the 18th of the 
same month he was created marquis of Wellington by the 
prince regent of England. The next great incidents of the 
war were the unsuccessful attack upon the fortress of 
Burgos, numerously garrisoned by French troops, commanded 
by marshal Clausel, the consequent retreat upon Portugal, 
and the evacuation of Madrid. 

Sep. 15th. Napoleon having entered Moscow, the ancient 
capital of Eussia, the Russians set fire to the city before 
leaving it, which event compelled Napoleon to evacuate 
the place, and make a rapid retreat to France. It is said 
that in this retreat, 130,000 men perished of cold, fatigue 
and famine. Out of above 500,000 men who started iu the 
ussian campaign, not above 87,000 returned. 



234 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1812. 

March 28th, A dreadful earthquake occurred in South 
America, which almost totally destroyed the city of Caraccas; 
4,500 houses, 19 churches and convents, with all the other 
public building-s, were levelled to the ground; many 
thousands of the inhabitants were buried in the ruins. The 
seaport of Laguayra was also laid in ruins, and several 
other places suffered severely. 

On May the 8th, the first stone of the Leeds National 
school (erected near the parish church, on the site of the 
ancient tithe barn, belonging to the rectory of Leeds), was 
laid by the Rev. P. Haddon, then vicar of Leeds, and the 

school was opened February 7th, 1813. At the general 

election this year, lord Milton and Mr. Lascelles were re- 
turned members for Yorkshire without opposition. Mr. 
Stuart Wortley, (afterwards the first lord Wharncliffe,) 
offered himself, but withdrew. Mr. Wilberforce, one of 
late members, retired after having represented Yorkshire 

twenty-eight years. Oct. 1st. Mr. Sadler ascended 

with his balloon from Belvedere house, near Dublin, at one 
p.m., with the wind at S.W., at three he was nearly over 
the Isle of Man, and the wind blowing fresh, he found him- 
self rapidly apgroachiiig the Vfelsh coast; at four he had 
a distinct viev/ of Skerry lighthouse, but the wind shifting, 
he was taken off and lost sight of the land. After hovering 
about a long time, he discovered five vessels beating down 
the channel; he precipitated himself into the sea, but the 
vessels taking no notice of him, he threw out some ballast, 
and quickly regained his situation in the air. Night now 
coming on, he observed three other vessels, he again de- 
scended, and, after great exertions, he v/as taken on board 
of a herring fisher, from the Isle of Man. 

On the 11th of May, the premier, Mr. Perceval, was 
shot in the lobby of the House of Commons, by John 
Bellingham, a merchant engaged in the trade to Russia, 
whom some private losses had rendered insane. He was 
shortly after executed at the Old Bailay, London. 

Luddites. Vast multitudes of working people were this 
year thrown out of employment by the stagnation of manu- 
facturers, and manifested their feelings in commotion and 
riot. The peninsular war was raging, general distress 
was felt, a large number of agitators inflamed the 
minds of the people, and riots were prevailing in many 
counties. The commercial difficulties to which the 
country was exposed, the scarcity of work, and the 
high price of provisions, in the first instance, exicited this 
unhappy spirit. The disposition to a system of combined 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 235 

1812. 

operations first manifested itself in the neighbourhood of 
the town of Nottingham at the close of ISll, in the de- 
struction of some newly-invented stocking frames, by- 
small parties of men, principally stocking weavers, who 
had assembled from the neighbourhood. In Nottingham, 
1,000 frames had been broken, and the lives of the inhabitants 
held at the mercy of a ferocious mob. By degrees they 
became more numerous and more formidable ; and, having 
obtained arms, disturbed the whole country^ between Not- 
tingham and Mansfield, destroying frames almost Avithout 
resistance. An imaginary personage styled general, alias 
Ned Lud, M'as the reputed commander of the rioters. 

Some mills at Rawden, a village about eight miles from 
Leeds, were, on the morning of the •24th of March, attacked 
by a body of armed men, who proceeded with the greatest 
circumspection to seize the watchmen, and to place guards 
at every neighbouring cottage ; they afterwards entered 
the premises and destroyed the machinery. Other build- 
ings were entered at this place and in the neighbourhood, 
and the goods which the}'" contained were cut to pieces 
and destroyed. 

On the 9th of April, about 300 armed men attacked some 
mills near "Wakefield, and destroyed the valuable machinery 
and property. They were seen some time before this on 
the road, marching in regular sections, preceded by a 
mounted party with drawn swords, and followed by the 
same number mounted as a rear guard. The inhabitants 
were intimidated. In May, the store-house of arms for 
the local militia, at Sheffield, was surprised, and the arms 
destroyed and carried off*. 

On the night of Saturdays the 11th of April, a most 
desperate attack was made upon the mill of Mr. Wil- 
liam Cartwright, at a place called Rawfolds, in the 
township of Liversedge, by a considerable body of men, to 
the number of some hundreds, "who Avere armed with pistols, 
hatchets, bludgeons, &c. Mr. Cartwright, supported by 
four of his own workmen and tive soldiers, fixed themselves 
inside the mill, and met the assailants by a vigorous and 
well sustained di-^charge of musketry. In the course of the 
engagement, several desperate attempts were made to 
break down the doors, and force a way into the mill, but 
none of them proved successful, and, after a confiict of 
twenty minutes, in which two of the assailants were killed, 
and a considerable number wounded, they M^ithdrew in 
confusion, leaving the gallant little garrision masters of the 
fiel:l. The bravery displayed by Mr. Cartwright, in the de- 



236 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1812. 

fence of his premises, excited the public admiration, and a 

subscription amounting- to upwards of £3,000, was entered 

into, and conferred upon that gentleman and his family. 

The first intention of the Luddites was simply to destroy 
an obnoxious piece of machinery; the next step was noc- 
turnal plunder for arms; this was followed by the assembling' 
of a sort of insurrectionary army, and, after the defeat at 
Rawfolds, George Mellor, the general Lud of the district, 
announced to his infatuated followers that the system of 
operations must be changed, and that instead of attacking 
the mills, they must shoot the masters. The first victim 
marked out for assassination was Mr. William Horsfall, 
(father of Abraham Horsfall, Esq., of Leeds, solicitor), a con- 
siderable manufacturer, at Marsden,by whom a quantity of 
the obnoxious machinery was employed. Mr. Horsfall, it 
appears, had expressed himself in strong terms against 
the delusions under which the workmen laboured, and was 
probably on this account, selected out for destruction. To 
effect the diabolical purpose, George Mellor, William 
Thorpe, Thomas Smith, and Benjamin Walker, being each 
of them provided with pistols, repaired in the afternoon 
of Tuesday, the 28th of April, to a small plantation near 
Crosland moor, on the way from Huddersfield to Marsden; 
and as Mr. Horsfall returned from the market, about six 
o'clock in the evening, two of the assassins discharged 
their pistols, and inflicted upon him a number of wounds, 
of which he languished till the morning of the Thursday 
following, when he expired, on the 30th of April. To such 
a pitch were the atrocities of these miscreants carried, 
that they nearly killed a young woman in the streets of 
Leeds, because she had been seen near the spot where a 
murder was committed, and might have been able to give 
evidence to lead to the discovery of the murderers. At 
this place also the rioters determined on the destruction 
of all goods, which had been prepared otherwise than by 
manual operation, and proceeded to execute their purpose 
with unusual dexterity. 

Oti the 18th of April, Mr. Cartwright was twice shot at 
on the high road ; shots were also fired at a constable and 
magistrate, and several attempts were made to assassinate 
general Campbell, who commanded the troops at Leeds. 

Amongst the mischief committed by, or attributed 
to the -'Luddites" of 1812, was the burning of the 
•" gig-mill, " at Oatlands, near Leeds, and Hawks- 
worth corn mills, near Otley, and the destruction 
of the machinery in the mills or dressing shops of 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 237 

1812. 

Joseph Hirst, of Huddersfield ; William Hinchliffe, of 
Leymoor ; John Garner, of Honley ; Clement Dyson, of 
Dungeon; Mr. Roberts, of Crosland; Frances Vickerman, 
of Taylor hill; William Thompson and Brothers, of Raw- 
den; Mr. Smith, of Snowgatehead, near Holmfirth; Joseph 
Brook, of Horn-coat; James Brook, of Reins; and Joseph 
Foster, of Horbury. About £500 worth of cloth was torn 
and cut into shreds in the finishing shops of Messrs. 
Dickenson, Carr, and Shann, in "Water-lane, Leeds, and 
besides the destruction of their machinery, many of the 
above-named manufacturers had their houses plundered 
and their furniture and Avindows broken to pieces. A 
vigorous .«5ystem of police was established by a neigh- 
bouring magistrate; (the late Sir Joseph Radcliffe, of 
Milns bridge, who received the honour of a baronetcy for 
his intrepid conduct at this alarming crisis). Sixty-six 
persons were, in the course of the year, apprehended and 
committed to the county gaol, on various charges con- 
nected with these disturbances ; and in January following, 
a special commission of oyer and terminer was held at 
York, for the purpose of trying the offenders. The pro- 
ceedings of the court were of the most solemn and im- 
pressive kind. Eighteen of the prisoners, including three 
of the murderers of Mr. Horsfall, were capitally convicted, 
and seventeen of them were executed, on Friday, the 16th 
of January, 1S13. Of the others, six of them were con- 
victed of simple felony, and transported for seven years, 
and the remainder were either liberated on bail or ac- 
quitted. 

It is singular that the districts in which the riots were 
carried to the greatest excess, were those in which the 
want of employment for the working manufacturers had 
been the least felt. 

But the form which the associations assumed was 
alarming; a general secret committee had the superinten- 
dance of all the societies, each of which had its own 
secret committee for conducting the correspondence, and 
pursuing measures in concert with the societies estab- 
lished in other districts in the country. To ensure secresy, 
an oath was administered to the initiated, of the most 
detestable nature, an oath which bound him by the fear of 
assassination never to reveal any of the proceedings of 
his brethren; and which farther bound him to assassinate, 
or to pursue with the utmost vengeance, all persons who 
should be guilty of discovering their secret schemes. As 
this oath is of a very singular nature, it may be interest- 
ing to insert it. 



238 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1812. 

"I, A. B. of my own voluntary will, do declare and 
solemnly swear that I never will reveal to any person or 
persons under the canopy of heaven, the names of the 
persons who compose this secret committee, their pro- 
ceeding's, meetings, places of abode, dress, features, con- 
nexions, or anything else that might lead to a discovery 
of the same either by word or deed, or sign, under the 
penalty of being sent out of the world by the first brother 
who shall meet me, and my name and character blotted 
out of existence, and never to be remembered but with 
contempt and abhorrence; and I further now do swear, 
that I will use my best endeavours to punish by death any 
traitor or traitors should any rise up amongst us, wherever 
I can find him or them ; and though he should fly to the 
verge of nature, I will pursue him with unceasing ven- 
geance. So help me God, and bless me to keep this my 
oath invoilable." 

Money was levied by the rioters, on the villages in which 
they destroyed the frames ; and as the number of the in- 
surgents increased, the outrages were, by the month of 
December, extended over Derbyshire and Leicestershire. 
At the spring assizes, in Nottingham, this year, seven 
persons were convicted, and sentenced to transportation. 
The ancient system of watch and ward was renewed in 
the disturbed counties, and the legislature interfered to 
increa:-^e the punishment for the destruction of frames. At 
Stockport, in Cheshire, subscriptions were instituted for 
the persons in custody in Nottinghamshire, anonymous 
letters were circulated threatening still farther devasta- 
tions on machinery, and attempts were made to carry 
these threats into execution. Ashton-under-Lyne, Eccles, 
and Middletown, became scenes of confusion. At the last- 
mentioned place, a most daring attack was, on the 20fch 
of April, made on the manufactory of a Mr. Barton, ia 
which the rioters were at first repulsed, and five of their 
number killed by the military assembled to protect the 
works; but a second attack was made two days after- 
wards, in which Mr. Barton's dwelling house was burned 
to the ground. 

At Stockport, the riots were renewed about the middle 
of April, and a regular system of discipline was established 
among the insurgents. A meeting of rioters on a heath, 
about two miles from Stockport, for the purposes of mili- 
tary discipline, was discovered and dispersed on the 
morning of the 15th of April. Manchester now became 
a scene of disorder : on the 26th and 27th of April, some 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 239 

1812. 

thousands of strangers appeared in the town : the local 
militia was called out, and a considerable militarj' force 
assembled, but the strangers had dispersed by the 28th. 
Nocturnal meetings, however, were held for the purposes 
of military exercise, arms were seized in various places 
by the disaffected, and contributions in money were levied, 
Bolton - ill - the- Moors, Newcastle -under -Lyne, Wigan, 
Warrington, and other towns, exhibited symptoms of dis- 
turbance ; a spirit of tumult also appeared at Carlisle; and 
at Huddersiield, in Yorkshire, the proceedings of the 
rioters were marked with peculiar atrocity. 

A large manufactory at West Houghton, in the neigh- 
bourhood of Bolton-in-the -Moors, was, with great dex- 
terity, destroyed on the 24th of April, in spite of every 
effort which could be made for its protection. The plan 
of attack was, in this instance, executed with singular 
ability. The rioters first of all assembled; but on the 
appearance of a military force, they immediately dispersed. 
The military having returned to their quarters, however, 
the rioters re-appeared, assailed and forced the manufac- 
tory, set it on fire, and again dispersed, before the military 
could be brought to the spot. 

A letter in the Times, dated Dec. 3rd, 1812, gives an 
account of further riots at Huddersiield : — " The spirit of 
Luddism, which was thought to be extinct, has again ap- 
peared and raged with more than usual violence. Last 
Sunday night, about a quarter past nine o'clock, a number 
of men armed with pistols or short guns, one of them 
with the lower part of his face covered with a black 
handkerchief, entered the house of Mr. W. Walker, of 
Newhall, near Huddersfield, cloth manufacturer, and after 
taking from him a gun, a pistol, and powder horn, de- 
manded his money, and obtained from him about £15 in 
notes, the whole of which they offered to return him, ex- 
cept one, if he would give them a guinea in gold : not 
being aware of this decoy, he took out a small purse con- 
taining live guineas, which they immediately seized, and 
took all the gold without returning the notes. The chief 
then proceeded to ransack his papers, while others of the 
party presented their pieces at Mr. Walker, and after 
cautioning the family on pain of deatli not to quit the 
house for two hours after, they departed. 

" The same gang on the same night proceeded to the 
house of a shopkeeper, at Far town, from whom they took 
a gun, some silver, and notes to the amount of ^£20, together 
with a pair of silver tea tongs, and two silver tea spoons 



2^40 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1812. 

not content with this booty, they went into the cellar, and 
seized a bottle of rum and some provisions. From thence 
they went to a farmer's house, near Fixby ; four men en- 
tered, two of them armed with blunderbusses, a third 
with a gun, and the other with a pistol ; their first demand 
was for arms, but on being told that the family had neither 
arms nor money, they ordered " Enoch, Captain, Serjeant, 
and Hatchetmen " to enter ; but on promising to find 
them some money, they retired at the word of command. 
Here they received £5. They next proceeded to the house 
of Mr. James Brook, of Bracken hall, in Far Town, where, 
after conducting themselves in an outrageous manner, 
they took his watch, a pound note, and four shillings in 
silver." 

The Leeds Commercial Bank, (Messrs. Fenton, Scott, 
Nicholson, and Smith), stopped payment January 8th, 1812. 
This company subsequently paid 20s. in the pound to its 

creditors. On April 14th, a large riotous mob, at 

Sheffield, broke into the local Militia store room in that 
town, and destroyed 800 guns and bayonets. 

In August, the best wheat sold at Leeds for £9 per 
quarter, in consequence of which a riot occurred in the 
market on the 18th, headed by a woman dignified with the 
title of lady Lud. The populace furiously assailed the 
dealers in the market, and seized a quantity of corn 
which they threw about the streets. The mob proceeded 
to the present Mill-Green corn mill, called Holbeck Water 
mill, then in the occupation of Mr. Joseph Shackleton, corn 
miller, where they broke a many windows in the mill and 
in the house adjoining, and tore up the wooden pailings 
round the house. The mob also threw stones through the 
chamber windows of the house and shop in Water-lane, 
now occupied by Mrs. Middleton, but then occupied by 
Mr. Jonathan Shackleton. 

The first stone of the Leeds Royal Lancasterian free 
school, situate in Alfred-street, Boar-lane, was laid Jan. 
24th, by William Hey, Esq. This commodious building, 74 
feet by 46 feet, and 30 feet high, is of brick, and lighted 
by a large lantern and other windows, and will accommo- 
date 500 boys. It cost £2,092 13s. lOd. The method of 
instruction was originally laid down by Mr. Joseph Lan- 
caster. The school is supported chiefly by annual sub- 
scriptions, occasional benefactions, and the children's 
pence. There were, during 1856, 277 boys in course of 
teaching, the cost of whose education averaged 12s. 6d: 
per annum. The indefatigable master, Mr. Thurnell, who 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 241 

1812 -1813. 

has been for 25 years at the head of this school, devotes 
great aftention to the moral training of the youths under 
his care. A library is established for the use of the elder 
boys, and the elements of mathematical drawing are 
taught. Children are admitted every Monday morning, 
by applying at the school. In the first instance, this 
highly useful establishment was held in the old Assembly 
Room, Kirkgate. About 40 lbs. weight of Roman cop- 
per coin was dug up on Wakefield Outwood, where the 
Romans are supposed to have had a station. 

1813. In the beginning of this year the marquis of Wel- 
lington (who had been appointed co^.onel of the Eoyal Horse 
Guards, and created a knight of the garter) visited Cadiz 
and sailed thence to Lisbon, a\ here he ^Aas received by the 
population with great enthusiasm. Wellington soon re- 
organised the allied troops, and advanced rapidly through 
Spain. King Joseph and his marshals retiring to concen- 
trate their forces near Vittoria, where on the 21st June, 
1813, they accepted battle, and the total irremediable rout 
of the French army was the result. That army lost their 
cannon, stores, a vast number of killed, wounded, and 
about ],000 prisoners, and king Joseph was obliged to save 
himself on horseback, leaving behind his carriages, treasure, 
and baggage. The loss of the allies in this battle is said 
to have been 700 killed and 4,000 wounded. The French 
confess to a loss of 7.00D killed and wounded, but ^vhich 
was probably not less than 10,000. By the Gih of July, the 
last di\ision of Joseph Bonaparte's army was driven be- 
j'ond the Pyrenees. In forty-five days from the opening of 
this campaign, Wellington had led the allied army from the 
frontiers of Portugal to the French border, marching 5(J0 
miles without a check. He had defeated the combined 
forces of the enemy in a general action, taken all their 
artillery, and had driven them from one strong post to 
another, till, shorn of his enormous booty, the usurper king 
was hunted from the soil of Spain. July 11th to 25th. An 
unsuccessful attempt was made to take San Sebastian by 
storm, AAhen the loss of the British was nearly 900 men; 
liut on the 19th of August the seige was resumed, and on 
the 31st of the same month the plrce was taken by assault 
by the British trooi)S, under the direction of Sir Thomas 
Graham, with the loss of 2,623 men killed and A\ounded. 
The loss of the enemy amounted to ■'^,600 hors de combat. 
The French emperor had, previously to this siege, sent Soulfc 
from Germany to arrest the conquering march of Wellington 
upon France; and while the storm of war was bursting 

21 



242 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YOEK, AND 

1813. 

upon the devoted city, the terrible battles of the Pyrenees 
were being fought. Lord Wellington says of these battles, 
" The French army must have suffered greatly. Between the 
25th of July and the 2nd of August, they were engaged 
seriously ten times. Their officers declare they have lost 
15,000 men; our casualties are 6,000." Soult gallantly, if 
vainly, attempted to perform his task ; but the hour of de- 
feat had struck. Lord Wellington step by step pushed 
aside or over-leaped all intervening obstacles, and ter- 
minated the struggle by the bitter fight before Toulouse. 
(April 11th, 1814). Soult had expressed his determination 
to "bury himself and army under the ruins of Toulouse 
rather than suffer himself to be driven away," therefore the 
struggle was obstinate and terrific. Soult in the end was 
repulsed with great loss. The loss of the allied army was 
v«ry severe ; 595 killed, and 4,046 wounded. 

January 28th. Died Henry Redhead Yorke, a celebrated 
politician. 

In March, two Roman stone cofRns were dug up in a field 
nearly opposite to Burton Stone, at Clifton, near York, each 
containing a skeleton entire, with the teeth completely 
perfect. The coffins measured seven feet four inches long, 
two feet three inches broad, and one foot ten inches deep ; 
they were of thick, light coloured grit; one side of each 
had been carved and pannelled, but the other was left quite 
plain ; the carved sides were placed against each other 
when found, and each was covered with a lid, curiously 
made in the shape of the roof of a modern dwelling-house, 
sloping both ways, with small uniform projections on one 
side, but hewn flat on the other. 

The Chapel at Wortley was erected about the year 1780, 
under the influence of the late John Smyth, Esq., the lord 
of the manor. A dispute upon the subject of the patronage, 
however, consigned it into the hands of the Dissenters, by 
whom for some j'^ears it was occupied. The trustees and 
the vicar of Leeds offered to Mr. Smyth the patronage of 
the chapel for two lives, but he required the perpetual ad- 
vowson. This originated its temporary alienation. But in 
1813 the trustees and the vicar agreed to convey the per- 
petual advowson to his son, who sold his right in the chapel 
to three of the inhabitants of Wortley, upon condition that 
the patronage should be vested in five trustees, of whom 
the lord of the manor should always be one. Upon the 
death of two trustees, the trust is to be filled by the sur- 
vivors. The chapel was consecrated 1813, by the arch- 
bishop of York, and the endowment was constituted by 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 243 

1813. 

the pew rents and surplice fees, and by an engagement 
upon the part of the trustees that they would advance two 
hundred pounds for the purpose of procuring three hundred 
pounds more from the parliamentary fund. The trustees, 
however, advanced £400, and received £600; besides which 
the governors added out of the parliamentary fund £1,400, 
to be expended in the purchase of freehold land, for the benefit 
of the incumbent. The ministers who have officiated in 
this chapel since its consecration, have been, the Rev. 
George Hickards, the Rev. Mr. Kemplay, the Rev. N. God- 
frey, and the Rev. W. Pettitt, the present incumbent. 

Thomas Robinson was born at Wakefield, in 1749, and 
was educated at the grammar school of his native place, 
next at Trinity college, Cambridge, where he was elected 
fellow in 1772. Became curate of St. Martin, in Leicester; 
and, in 1778, was presented to the living of St. Mary, in 
that town, which he held till his death, in 1813. He was cal- 
vinistic in his sentiments, and firmly attached to the con- 
stitution of the established church. He published Scrip- 
ture Characters ; the Christian System unfolded ; and 

sermons and tracts. The first stone of the new 

church, called St. John in the Wilderness, situated at 
Marshav/ bridge, in the parish of Halifax, was laid March 

15th. Messrs. Fenton, Murray, and Wood, of Leeds, 

on the 18th of June, exhibited anew steam boat in the river 
Aire, when the novelty of the exhibition attracted an im- 
mense crowd of spectators. On July 1st, the Jubilee 

coach, on leaving Halifax for Leeds was overturned in its 
descent to the North bridge, and three persons killed, viz., 
Joshua Milner, the venerable beadle of Halifax ; Mr. John 
Sykes, an eminent engine builder, of Bolton-le-Moors ; and 
David Brotherton, the unfortunate driver of the vehicle, 
several others had their limbs broken, and were dreadfully 
bruised. The coach had only commenced running the pre- 
ceding day. 

On July ISth, died, aged 73, J. Dodsworth, Esq., who 
endowed a school at Water Poppleton with ten pounds a 
year for ten scholars. 

On July 22nd, the lightning killed a boy on Greetland- 
edge, and tore to pieces a large oak tree, near Kirkburton. 

On November 2nd, Mr. Whincup's shelling mill, in 
Walmgate, York, with a great quantity of corn, was 
completely destroyed by fire : the damage was estimated 

at £3,000.^ On November 30th, the New Inn, in King- 

street,Huddersfield, was burnt down, and the three ad- 
joining houses greatly damaged; the fire raged three hours, 
and a servant girl and boy perished in the flames. 



244: ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

18J3.-1814. 

On December 1st, was a general illumination in Leeds, 
Otley, &c., in honour of the victories gained by the allied 
forces over the French, at Leipsic. On the 27th and 2Sth, 
there were great rejoicings and festivities at Halifax ; on 
the first day the gentry and nianufucturers feasted them- 
selves, and on the second day they entertained the people 
in a field, at the bottom of Horten-street, where a large 

ox was roasted. On December 11th, died at Royds 

hall, near Bradford, Joseph Dawson, Esq., aged 73 years. 
He was justly esteemed one of the most enlightened, 
useful, and benevolent men in Yorkshire, being well versed 
in classical literature, mathematics, mineralogy, geology, 
and theology. He left a lasting monument of his scientific 
skill, ingenuity, and activity, in the extensive iron works 
at Low Moor, which, twenty years before his death arose 
under his auspices, and were arranged and established by 
him in conjunction with several other wealthy and intelli- 
gent individuals. At eight o'clock in the evening of 

December 28th, an alarming fire broke out in a detached 
building belonging to the York lunatic asylum, when two 
of the patients perished in the flames. The roof, and the 
interior of several of the rooms were consumed. The 

walls sustained but little injury. This year, at Leeds, 

a Methodist missionary association was formed, and the 
Leeds district national society was incorporated with the 

York diocesan society. The lay impropriators repaired 

the chancel of Wakefield parish church, in consequence of 
an action brought against them by the churchwardens. 

1S14. While lord Wellington had been advancing to the 
Pyrenees, the allied powers of Russia, Prussia, and Austria, 
were, by steady though cautious movements, proceeding 
in an opposite direction to France, driving Napoleon before 
them, and increasing their own force as the various states 
became emancipated by their presence. On the 30th of 
March, the allies entered Paris in triumph; and in the 
course of a few days, ratified a treaty with Napoleon, by 
which he agreed to resign the government of France, and 
live for the future as only sovereign of Elba, a small island 
in the Mediterranean. France was deprived of all the 
acquisitions gained both under the republic and the empire, 
and restored to the rule of the ancient royal family in the 
person of Louis XVIII. Peace was proclaimed in London 
on the 20th of June. The war terminated, it was hoped 
permanently, and the British troops returned home. Their 
renowned commander was created, on the 3rd of May, 
marquis of Douro and duke of Wellington ; and in June, 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 245 

1814. 

i;400,000, making, with a previons grant of £100,000 half 
a million of money, was awarded him by the House of 
Commons. 

On January 10th, died, aged 73, Mr. Joseph Linsley, who 
for upwards of thirty-four years was governor of the 
Leeds workhouse, and filled that important, though often 
unthankful office with infinite credit to himself and ad- 
vantage to the town. This benevolent yet economical 
guardian of the poor was often visited by the philan- 
thropic Howard, who wrote as follows : — " The poor of 
Leeds are well fed, and taken care of; indeed they, and 
the people at large, are happy in having a worthy and 
very honest man for the governor of the workhouse, a 
Mr. Linslej'-, who was formerly a manufacturer in the 
town. His temper and disposition, as well as those of 
his wife, seem peculiarly adapted to their charge ; mild- 
ness and attention to the complaints of the meanest, 
joined with firmness of manner, gain the respect of 
those who are placed under their care. I am at the 
same time convinced, by his open manner in showing 
me the books, that he transacts the business of the 
town with rectitude and economy." He was attended 
to his grave by a great number of the respectable in- 
habitants. The frost was so intense in January, 

that all the canals were frozen, and many of the roads 
blocked up with snow. Mr. John Skelbeck, of Hud- 
dersfield, was frozen to death, on the road near Healaugh; 
he had with him his son, ten years old, who was found 
next day almost lifeless, in a brickmaker's hut, whither 
he had fled, after using his feeble exertions to awake 
his father from the fatal stupor into which the piercing 
action of the frost had thrown him upon the blanched 
road, within five hundred yards of his brother's house, 
to which he and his son were journeying from Tadcaster. 
Feb. 4th. A fair was held on the river Thames, between 
London and Blackfriars bridges, the surface being frozen 
over. The frost began 27th December, 1813, and con- 
tinued with little intermission for about thirteen weeks ; 
it was general throughout the three kingdoms, and was 
more intense than had been felt for seventy-three years. 
The thermometer was so low as 10 deg. The Lagan 
was frozen over below the Long bridge, at Belfast. At 
Kelso, on the 22nd January, an ice fete was held on 
the Tweed, and fifty gentlemen sat down to dinner. 

On March 1st, a large pile of buildings, in the Talbot 
Inn yard, in Halifax, was burnt to the ground ; it con- 



"246 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1814. 

sisted of two wool warehouses, and a large school room. 
The assembly room immediately adjoining suffered con- 
siderably. 

March 6th. Lord Cochrane this day effected his escape 
from the prison of the king's bench, London, and re- 
paired to the House of Commons, where he voted. His 
lordship had previously been indicted, together with his 
uncle Mr. Cochrane Johnstone, colonel de Berenger, and 
Mr. Butt, for a conspiracy, of which they were found 
guilty. A new trial was moved for June 15th, by some 
of the parties, which was refused by lord chief justice 
Ellenborough, on the ground that all the parties did not 
join in the application for it. On the 21st of June, the 
prisoners were brought up for judgment, when lord 
Cochrane and Mr. Butt were sentenced to pay a tine 
of £1,000 each, these, with the others were further sen- 
tenced to be imprisoned twelve months, and to stand 

one hour in the pillory. Lord Cochrane, on the 5th 

of July, was expelled the House of Commons, together 
with his uncle, the latter being also outlawed; the 
sentence of the pillory was afterwards remitted. Lord 
Cochrane successively commanded the fleets of Chili, 
Peru, Brazil, and Greece, in the struggles of those states 

for independence. Oct. 17th. In the brewhouse of 

H. Meux, London, tAvo beer vats burst suddenly with a 
tremendous crash, destroying several houses ; some lives 
were lost, and the loss of property was estimated at 

near 9000 barrels of beer. Dec. 24rth. A treaty of 

peace betv/een Great Britain and America was signed 
at Ghent. 

On April 7th, the news of the fall of Paris was re- 
ceived in Yorkshire with rapturous exultation, and was 
soon followed by a general peace, which was celebrated 
with splendid iliiimiaations and processions, and sump- 
tuous public festivities. As a beneficial memorial of the 
joy felr. at Huddersfield on the return of peace, the in- 
habitants established a dispensary, under the appellation 
of the " ITudderstield and Upper Agbrigg Infirmary." 

Mr. Sadler, Jun., ascended in his balloon, at York, 
August 24th, and at Pontefract September 15th. On the 
latter occasion he was accompanied by Miss Thompson. 

Mr. Samuel Birchall, of Leed^, died this year on May 
17th, aged 53. He was a member of the society of 
Friends, an industrious naturalist and antiquary, and 

author of a work on provincial coins. A piece of 

Roman tes.scllated pavement was discovered in April, 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 247 

1814.-1815. 

adjoining- the rampart within Micklegatc bar, in the 
city of York, supposed to have been the ground work 
of a general's tent. A part of it only could be pre- 
served. The portion discovered measured about twenty- 
four feet by fifteen feet, and had been very handsome. 
In the centre were two stags, and around it several 
beautiful borders. A considerable number of coins of 
the lower empire, and a quantity of pottery ware, were 
also discovered. 

ISlo. Representatives from the European powers con- 
cerned in the war met at Vienna October 2Qd, 1S14, 
in order to settle the disturbed limits of the various 
countries, and provide against the renewal of a period 
of war so disastrous. In March of this year, (ISloj the 
proceedings of the congress Avere interrupted by in- 
telligence that Napoleon had lauded m France, and was 
advancing in triumph to the capital. Though he landed 
with only a few men, he Avas everywhere received 
Avith affection, and on the 20th of March was reinstated 
in his capital, which had that morning been left by 
Louis XVIII. On the 1st of June, Napoleon had 559,00i) 
effective men under arms, of whom 217,000 were ready 
to take the field. A Prussian army of more than 
10(>,OaO, under Blucher, and one of about 80,000 British, 
Germans, and Belgians, under Wellington, were quickly 
rendezvoused in the Netherlands, while still larger 
armies of Austrians and Russians, making the whole 
force above 1,000,000, were rapidly approaching. These 
professed to make war, not on France, but against 
Bonaparte alone, whom they denounced as having, by 
his breach of the treaty, 'placed himsself out of the pale 
of civil and social relations, and incurred the penalty 
of summary execution ' Napoleon, knowing that his 
enemies would accumulate faster in proportion than his 
own troop*", crossed the frontier on the 14th of June 
with 120,000 men; resolved to fight Blucher and Wel- 
lington separately, if possible. The rapidity of his 
movements prevented that concert betAveen the Prussian 
and English generals, Avhich it Avas their interest to 
establish. On the 16th of June, Napoleon attacked the 
Prussian army under Blucher, at Li^rny, and compelled 
him (after a five hours' battle) to retire to Wavre, with 
a loss of 16,000 men, and several pieces of cannon. 
Early in the afternoon of the same day, Ney (by veteran 
troops in very superior numbers) attacAcd the British 
at Les Quatre Bras, but he was gallantly and successfully 



248 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1815 

repulsed. The loss of the British and their allies in 
this battle amounted to 3,750 hors de combat. The 
British suffered most severely, having 316 men killed 
and 2,156 wounded. The duke of Brunsvt^ick fell in the 
act of rallying his troops, and an immense number of 
British officers were found among the slain and wounded. 
On the 17th of June, Wellington being apprised that 
Blucher had retired on Wavre, also retreated and drew 
his troops across the road to Brussels, near a place 
called Waterloo. 

Battle of Waterloo. On the 18th of June, Napoleon de- 
termined to give battle to Wellington. He had a force 
of not less than 90,000 men, with 296 pieces of artillery; 
while the British amounted to but 74,400 men, with not 
more than 150 pieces. The position which Wellington 
occupied was in front of the hamlet of Mont St. Jean, 
about a mile and a half in advance of the village of 
Waterloo. The whole line was formed on a gentle ac- 
clivity, the flanks partially secured by small hollows 
and broken grounds. The two points of the greatest 
importance in the British position, were, the farm-house 
of La Haye Sainte, in front of the left centre, which 
was defended by a Hanoverian battalion ; and the 
Chateau of Hougoumont, with its wood and garden in 
advance of the right centre, which was held by part of 
the guards and some companies of Nassau riflemen. 
Wellington considered this to be the key of his position, 
and great attention was bestowed upon its defence. 
Shortly before eleven o'clock, the enemy's columns were 
put in motion against Hougoumont, and the battle of 
Waterloo began. Comprising three divisions, nearly 
30,000 strong, the French attack was made in close 
columns, supported by the fire of numerous batteries. 
As the heads of the enemy's masses rose above the 
hollow ground which had hitherto concealed their move- 
ments, the British artillery opened with round and case 
shot; and the French and Nassau light troops, com- 
menced a sharp and rapid fusilade; but the latter was 
forced to yield to numbers — the wood was carried — and 
the Chateau and its dependencies were vigorously and 
resolutely assaulted ; but the defence was able as it 
was obstinate. The fire of the English musketry fell on 
the French masses with rapid precision. The French 
gave ground — the guards charged from the enclosures — 
part of the wood was recovered — and the fire of the 
British howitzers cleared the remainder of it from the 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 24-9 

1815. 

enemy. The French attacks were renewed again and 
again against Hougouniont, but they were as unavailing 
as they had proved before ; every new effort of the 
enemy increased the slaughter, but failed in abating 
either the spirit or the obstinacy of the defence. At 
length the French artillery opened with shells upon the 
house ; the old tower of Hougoumont was quickly in a 
blaze; the fire reached the chapel, and many of the 
wounded, both assailants and defenders, there perished 
miserably ; but still the guards nobly held the place, 
and Hougoumont remained untaken. The assault upon 
Hougoumont was accompanied by a heavy lire from 
more than two hundred pieces of artillery upon the 
whole British line. The obstinacy with which Napoleon 
endeavoured to win this important post, may be best esti- 
mated by the terrible expenditure of life his repeated 
attacks occasioned. 10,000 men were killed and wounded 
in these attempts. 

^yilile these terrible attacks were continued against the 
right centre, the left of the allied position was also furi- 
ousl}'- assailed. One success only crowned the incessant 
effoi'ts of Napoleon — the temporary possession of the farm- 
house of La Haye Saiate, which was surrendered after a 
heroic defence of two hours. The continued attacks of the 
enemy on all points was exhausting the strength of the 
allied army and making its situation every moment more 
critical. Though masses of the enemy had fallen, 
thousands came on anew. Many battalions of the British 
were miserably reduced. The loss of individual regi- 
ments was prodigious. One (the 27th) had 400 men 
mowed down in square without drawing a trigger. 
Another, (the 92nd) when not 200 men were left, rushed 
into a French column and routed it with the bayonet; a 
third, (the 33rd) when nearly annihilated, sent to require 
support : none could be given, and the commanding officer 
was told that he must " stand or fall where he was." 

Thus the battle raged until evening came, and yet no 
crisis. Wellington as he viewed the diminished numbers 
of his brave battalions still presenting the same fearless 
attitude that they had done when the battle opened, felfc 
that to human endurance there is a limit, and turned his 
glass repeatedly to that direction from which his expected 
support must come. At last the welcome sound of distant 
artillery was heard in the direction of St. Lambert, and a 
staff officer reported that Blucher was approaching near 
the scene of action. This was about seven in the evening. 



250 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1815. 

The enemy then made a desperate effort with cavalry and 
infantry, supported by the lire of artillery, to force the 
left centre of the British near the farm of La Haye Sainte. 
The imperial guard, in close column, came on to the assault 
and ascended the slope of the position, although the fire 
of the English guns fell upon their dense masses with 
ruinous precision. Presently the guards moved forward 
to the crest of the height, and the finest infantry in the world 
confronted each other at the distance of fifty paces. The first 
steady fire of the British guards disorganized the crowded 
column, and the fusilade v/as rapidly and steadily sus- 
tained. The shattered column of the enemy was soon 
driven down the hill with precipitate confusion. After 
routing their opponents, the victorious infantry halted, re- 
formed, fell back, and resumed their former position. 
Undismayed by the repulse of the first column, Napoleon's 
second column topped the height in perfect order, which 
bespoke the certainty of success; bat the musketry of 
Maitland's left wing smote the column heavily in front, 
and the fire of the light regiments fell with terrible effect 
on the flank of the mass. The ground in a few minutes 
was covered with dead and wounded men — the confusion 
increased — the disorder became irremediable — the columns 
broke and commenced a rapid retreat. Pressed by the 
guards, charged by the 52ud, retreat became a flight, and 
Wellington launched the cavalry of Vivian and Vandeleur 
against the mass as it rushed down the hill in hopeless 
disorder. Before it was possible for the French to rally 
and renew the fight, one grand and general attack consu- 
mated the ruin of Napoleon. Wellington is said to have 
exclaimed, " The hour is come! " The word was given to 
advance. The infantry, in one long and splendid line, 
moved forward with a thrilling cheer, the horse artillery 
galloped up and opened with case shot on the disordered 
masses. Instantly the allied cavalry were let loose, and, 
charging headlong into the enemy's columns, they turned 
retreat into rout, and closed the history of one of the 
bloodiest struggles upon record. 

A complete panic seized upon the French, who threw 
away their arms to expedite their flight. The Prussian 
cavalry pursued the enemy from Waterloo to Genappe, 
and cut them down unmercifully. The roads were covered 
with dead and dying, and, being obstructed by broken 
equipages and deserted guns, became almost impassible to 
the fugitives — hence the slaughter was frightful. Wel- 
lington recrossed the battle ground by moonlight, and 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 251 

1815, 

arrived for supper at Brussels. The excited feelings 
which such a victor)^ must have produced, are said to have 
suffered a reaction, and given way to a deep despondency 
as he rode past " the dying and the dead." God knows it 
was " a sorry sight ; " for on a surface not exceeding two 
square miles, 50,000 dead or disabled men and horses were 
extended. On the side of the victors, the total of killed 
and wounded, exclvsive of the Prussians, exceeded 13,000 
men, among whom were 600 officers and eleven generals. 
The total loss of the French amounted to not less than 
40,000 men. 

On his return to Paris, Napoleon made an effort to 
restore the confidence of his chief counsellors, but in vain. 
After a fruitless abdication in favonr of his son, he retired 
on board a small vessel at Rochfort, with the intention of 
proceeding to America; but being captured by a British 
ship of war, he was condemned by his triumphant enemies 
to perpetual confinement on the island of St. Helena, in 
the Atlantic, where he died in 1821. 

Joseph Blackburn was born about the year 1770; re- 
ceived a liberal education ; was articled to an attorney, 
and about 1793 began to practice that profession in Leeds. 
He married a lady of most amiable qualities, and respect- 
able connections ; became the father of two children, and 
for many years enjoyed the high respect of an extensive 
circle of acquaintances : no man living enjoyed more 
generally the credit of integrity and respectability than 
Mr. Blackburn ; but, after twenty years, during which 
time nothing had tarnished his reputation, or blackened 
his fame, a person, who had formerly been his clerk, laid 
an information against him for removing stamps from old 
deeds, and placing them upon new ones; and also with 
altering the denominations of such stamps. On this charge 
he was committed to York castle, and on the ISth of March, 
1815, put upon his trial for forging a £2. stamp upon a 
mortage deed of £180, before Sir Simon le Blanc. After 
the case for the prosecution had been gone through at some 
length, and the Judge seeming to think the charge clearly 
established, and overruling every legal objection taken by 
the defendant's counsel, he was called upon for his de- 
fence, and spoke as follows : — " May it pleas'j your lord- 
ship — " Gentlemen of the Jury : — 

" In the painful and anxious situation in which I am un- 
happily placed, I am ill-fitted for the task of addressing 
you on this occasion. — Agitated as I am between hope 
and fear, I can onl}- solemnly assure you that I never forged 



252 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1815. 

a stamp in my life ; but the public mind has been prejudiced 
against me by unfounded reports and advertisements, 
containing vile insinuations against me. But, gen- 
tlemen, I entreat and charge you upon your oaths, that 
5'^ou banish all that you have heard out of this court from 
your minds ; and all that I have to wish from you, is, 
that you be influenced only by the evidence, and that you 
will do unto me as you would wish to be done unto, were you 
placed in ray unfortunate situation. I have practised as 
an attorney among my townsmen and neighbours with 
credit and respectability for twenty- seven years ; you will 
hear from them upon their oaths, the character I have 
maintained during that period. In making my defence, I 
have many great and insuperable difficulties to contend 
with; I am called to furnish an answer, and that by evi- 
dence, against a charge which I never heard of until I 
entered this court ; for until I heard the indictment read, 
I had no knowledge of that which they have imputed to 
me by this indictment, of course it was absolutely impossi- 
ble forme to be prepared with evidence to rebut the charge. 
"With respect to the deed in question, 1 know nothing of 
it; it has been long out of my possession, and it is clear, 
by the evidence of the witnesses for the prosecution, that 
it has been very much exposed; I would only observe, 
that if it had not had a regular stamp affixed to it, the 
engrossing cleik must have seen it, and it must likewise 
have been observed at the office when the deed was regis- 
tered. When my house was searched, my account books 
were taken away, which has deprived me of all means of 
tracing the deed in question, or of proving where the 
stamp was bought; I had therefore no clue to direct my 
search. With res])cct to the spoiled stamps, I would 
observe, that they have lain by me a long time, and that 
the period of claiming the allowance for them has long 
elapsed. It often happens, that after a deed is engrossed, 
the execution may be delayed a very considerable time 
beyond the period allowed for claiming the allowance, 
and if ultimately it should not be executed, the stamp 
would be entirely lost ; this will account for the spoiled 
stamps, which in a long series of time, have been accumu- 
lated. I declare to you, gentlemen, that the deed in 
question had upon it a regular stamp when it was exe- 
cuted at my office, and I trust you will not ])resume any- 
thing against me; and that you will decide upon my fate 
with the same candour that you would wish in similar 
circumstances to be shewn to yourselves. Gentlemen, my 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 253 

1815. 

life is in your hands ; 1 shall bow with resignation to your 
decision; and I trust, I hope, that your decision will be 
right." 

A host of witnesses, of great respectability, and most 
of whom had known the prisoner for many years, appeared 
and spoke to liis character in terms of eulogium that any 
citizen might be proud of. 

After the summing up of the evidence by the learned 
judge, which was thought to have been done with some- 
what resembliug severity towards the prisoner, the jury 
retired ; and, after an absence of fifteen minutes, returned 
and delivered a verdict of " Guilty.'" 

After this, the prisoner was tried on a second indict- 
ment ; charging him with a similar oifence, in conjunction 
with a Mr. "Wainewright; on this charge he was acquitted. 
Mr. Blackburn was so much affected as not to be able to 
walk from court without assistance. 

On the following "Wednesday, amid other prisoners, Mr. 
Blackburn was brought up to receive sentence. In his 
general address, Sir Simon le Blanc thus particularized 
the prisoner : — 

"I am sorry to remark that you, Joseph Blackburn, whose 
education and habits of lile had furnished you, by the exer- 
cise of an honourable profession, with the means of main- 
taining yourself in credit, should have been induced to 
resort to such dishonest artifices. But the thirst of money, 
or the vvish to grow rich by means more rapid than by the 
exercise of patient industrjs has induced you not only to 
plunder the public revenue, but to involve private indivi- 
duals in distress, if not absolute ruin. By i\ series of in- 
genious contrivances, you have been able, by imitating the 
stamp used in the conveyar.ce of property, to injure the 
public revenue to a very considerable amount; and, by 
aflBxing those forged stamps to conveyances and other in- 
struments, you have put to hazard property to a very great 
extent." 

The awful sentence was then passed ; and Mr. Black- 
burn, who, during the v/hole of the address, appeared con- 
vulsed with agony, was literally carried out of court. 

The 8th of April was fixed for his execution; but in the 
interim between his trial and that day, a petition, signed 
by upwards of three thousand respectable persons, (mostly 
of jiCeds), -vas forwarded to the then prince regent: to 
this lord Sidmouth sent an immediate negative. An ap- 
plication AA'as subsequently made to Sir Simon le Blanc, 
which was equally unsuccessful. This unfortunate victim 

22 



254 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

3815. 

to the laws of his country, was therefore executed on the 
above day at York, and his remains were interred at Roth- 
well, near Leeds. 

On February 3rd, the festival of Bishop Blaize was re- 
newed at Leeds, after an interval of 27 years. The exhi- 
bition was grand beyond all precedent, being got up prin- 
cipally in honour of the peace which then prevailed. 

(See 1811.) The Leeds Soke, with the "King's Mills," 

was purchased for £32,000, by Mr. Edward Hudson. 

On February 9th, the archbishop of York consecrated 
the Vicar's croft, at Wakefield, as a burial ground. 

On February 22ud, died, aged 82, the Rev. Peter Haddon, 
M..A., who was a prebendary of Ripon, and 28 years vicar 
of Leeds, where he was universally esteemed. 

On March 23rd, the Rev. Richard FaAvcett, M.A., was 

elected vicar of Leeds. SmithsonTennant, aningenious 

chemist, was born at Selby, of which parish his father was 
vicar, Nov. 30th, 1761; was placed in a school atScorton,next 
at Tadcaster, and afterwards under Dr. Croft, at Beverley, 
where he applied himself more to science than classics. 
Went to Edinburgh in 1781, to stud}^ physic, and the year 
after became a member of Christ's college, Cambridge, 
from whence he removed to Emanuel college, where he 
proceeded to bachelor in medicine in 1788: and took the 
degree of doctor in 1791. Settled in London in 1812, and 
delivered lectures on mineralogy; next year was elected 
professor of chemistry at Cambridge. Read a course, and 
went to France, where, as he was about to embark on his 
return, was thrown from his horse, near Boulon^e, by which 
lie fractured his skull, and died Feb. 22nd, 1815. Was 
fellow of the Royal Society, and communicated numerous 
papers, which are published in the Transactions. 

Joseph Bramah, an ingenious mechanic, was born at 
Stainborough, in 1749. He received a common education, 
and was employed in early life in agricultural occupations, till 
lameness led him to relinquish that line, and was appren- 
ticed to a carpenter. Had previously made violoncellos and 
violins. Went to London, and was employed as a cabinet- 
maker. Undertook the manufacture of pumps, pipes, cocks, 
&c., for which he received patents. Made hydraulic ma- 
chines, for which he received a patent. Took out a patent 
for the application of the hydrostatic uniform pressure of 
fluids. Employed by the Bank of England, in 1807, to con- 
struct a machine for printing the date lines of the notes. 
He died in 1815. 

March 1st. Mr. Robinson, afterwards lord Goderich, 



THE SURROUNDI^'G DISTRICT. 255 

1815. 

brought into the House of Commons the bill to amend the 
laws respectiijg the importation of foreign corn; it was 
passed on the 10th, and sent to the House of Lords, where 
it passed by a majority of 128 to 21, and on the 23rd it re- 
ceived the royal assent. This bill enacted that no importa- 
tion of foreign corn should be permitted until the average 
price of wheat should be 80s., rye 55s., barley 40s., and oats 
26s. per quarter of eight Winchester bushels. Riots took 
place in London during the time of the discussion of the 
corn bill in the House of Commons. The houses of Mr. 
Robinson, tlie lord chancellor, lord Castlereagh, and many 
other members of parliament were attacked, their windows 
broken, and furniture destroyed. Two persons were shot 
in front of Mr. Robinson's house. 

William Hutton, a bookseller and author of Birmingham, 
who raised himself from a condition of poverty to one of 
great respectability and opulence ; was born at Derby 
in 17*23, aiid first worked in a silk-mill there, was after- 
wards apprenticed to a stocking- weaver at Nottingham, 
then taught himself bookbinding, and in 1749 walked all 
the way to London and back to buy the tools necessary for 
that trade. Having at last saved a sufficient sum, he com- 
menced business in Birmingham in 1750, though on a very 
small scale. His weekly expenses were only tive-shillings, 
and the first 5^ear he saved £20. Hutton continued success- 
ful, and in 1791 gave up his business to his son. He had 
suffered considerable loss in the church and king riots in 
Birmingham, but recovered a sum of money from the 
county. He died in 1815, in his 92nd year. Hutton was 
an author. He wrote, among other works, a " History of 
Blackpool," " History of Derby," some poems, and a very 
amusing and interesting autobiography. 

A dreadful accident happened at Heaton pit, near New- 
castle, by the workings overflowing with water: seventy- 
five men and thirty-five horses were lost. On April 

13th, the oil mill, at Crown Point, Leeds, with all its ma- 
chinery, and a considerable quantity of rape and line seed 

was destroyed by fire. On June 26th, a fire destroyed 

several thousand pounds worth of cloth, &c., in the ware- 
house of Mr. Moore, of Brockweil, near Halifax. 

The first stone of Christ church, in Bradford, was laid 
June 4th. An anonymous lady gave £800 towards the 

edifice, which was raised by subscription. A curious 

antique stone, formed like a mortar, rudely ornamented in 
relief, and inscribed '■ S. H. V. — 711," was found at Holbeck, 
near Leeds. At Marsden, near Huddersfield, was ob- 



256 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1815. 

served for twenty minutes, ou September 18th, that singular 
phenomenon, a water spout, apparently formed of a dense 
black cloud, and resembling a long inverted cone, the 
lowest part of which seemed nearly to touch the ground, 
whilst above it the clouds were white and fleecy, and 
seemed much agitated by the water, which, after falling, 
appeared to rise again rapidly up the vaporous spout with 

a spiral motion. On May 8th, died the Eev. Joseph 

Whiteley, A.M., master of the Leeds grammar school, vicar 
of Lastingham, and domestic chaplain to the earl of Hare- 
wood, During his residence in Cambridge university, he 
was greatly distinguished for the excellence of his theo- 
logical compositions, by which he gained several of the 

Norrisian prizes. On December 13th, the Austrian 

archdukes John and Louis, visited the cloth halls and prin- 
cipal manufactories of Leeds, where in rapture they ex- 
claimed to the resident Catholic minister, " C'est vraiment 
une ville d' Industrie.'''' — (This is truly an industrious town). 

On December '"0th, in consequence of a sudden thaw, 
after a heavy fall of snow, the river Aire overflowed its 
banks, and inundated the lower streets of Leeds, so that 
the bridge could not be approached except in a boat or 
carriage; happily the flood subsided next day, without any 
serious accident. 

In this year the act of parliament of the 55th Geo. III. 
cap. 42, was passed, entitled "An act to amend and 
enlarge the powers and provisions of an act of his 
present majesty, for erecting a court house and prison, 
for the borough of Leeds in the county of York, and 
other purposes ; to provide for the expense of the prose- 
cution of felons in certain cases ; and to establish a police 
and nightly watch in the town, borough, and neighbour- 
hood of Leeds." After providing for the continuance of 
the court house rate, until the expenses incurred by the 
erection of that building were completely defrayed, the 
act empowered the magistrates at the quarter sessions, 
to elect a gaoler or governor of the prison with other 
subordinate officers, to allow the expenses of prosecu- 
tions in specified cases, and tj offer proper rewards for 
the apprehension of offenders. It then arranged for the 
general police of the borough, by committing to the 
justices of the peace the prerogative of appointing a 
chief constable with an appropriate salary, and of elect- 
ing a sufficient number of persons to be his deputies — 
by requiring them to select an adequate body of watch- 
men and patroles for the town and the suburbs within 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 257 

1815.-1816. 

one mile of the bars — by enabling them to impose such 
rates as were necessary to defray the expense of the new 
system of police — and by authorizing them to choose 
such treasurers, collectors, and other officers, as the ex- 
ecution of the act might require. Upon this act the 
present system of police has been founded, numerous 
and useful changes for the better have since been made 
in this department of municipal arrangement, and it may 
be confidently stated that at the present period, the 
police of this borough, is as active, as efficient, and as 
well regulated as that of any other provincial town in 
the kingdom. The police regulations are now under the 
control of the corporation. 

1816. On January 20th, Messrs. Glover's factory, in Park- 
lane, Leeds, was destroyed by fire. In two causes 

tried in the duchy court of Lancaster, the inhabitants of 
Ossett and Gaathorp were released from the Wakefield 
soke, it being the opinion of Mr. Justice Bayley, Mr. Baron 
Richards, and the chancellor of the duchy, that they were 
not subject to the custom, though their ancestors had suffered 

it to be imposed upon them. The first stone of Coley 

church, near Halifax, was laid February 26th, and of Lud- 

denden church, on March 14th. Early ou Sunday 

morning, March 3rd, some lawless workmen broke into the 
dressing shops of Mr. James Roberts, at Quarmby, and 
destroyed all the shears, and improved frames. 

On April 23rd, v\'ere christened at Bingley, three children 
born at a birth, and then six weeks old, and named Lazarus, 
Mary, and Martha. The Yresley chapel, in Meadow- 
lane, Leeds, was opened June 27th, and is a substantial 
brick edifice, and since that time it has been considerably 
enlarged. ' It is capable of containing 2,000 persons. An 
organ was added about twenty years ago. During the 
excavation for this chapel, at the depth of eighteen feet 
in the gravel, was found a human skeleton, near which 
were some buckles, and a spear head, supposed to have 
been drifted there along with the sand and gravel. 

The first stone of St. Ann's chapel, at Southowram, Mas 

laid by the vicar of Halifax, on July 2nd. The banking 

house of Messrs. Ingham, of Huddersfleld, stopped payment 
July 4th, as also did that of Messrs. Brook and Sons, of the 
same place, on July 23rd. 

On July 24th, died, in his 64thyear, universally respected, 
Alexander Turner, Esq., senior alderman, and twice mayor 

of Leeds. Liversedge church, at Littletown, built by 

the Rev. H. Roberson, was consecrated August 29th. 



258 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1816 

There was great agricultural and commercial distress this 
year, and numerous meetings were held in various parts 
of the kingdom to consider the means of alleviating it, and 
large subscriptions were raised. 

August 3rd. Elizabeth Ward, of Rothwell, near Leeds, 
was tried at York on a charge of AvilfuUy and maliciously 
administering a certain deadly poison (arsenic) to Charlotte 
Ward, her sister, with the ielonious intent to kill and mur- 
der the said Charlotte Ward, on Saturday, the 27th of July, 
previously. She was found guilty, and the sentence of 
death passed upon her. During the passing of the sentence 
the prisoner said, — [speaking to Mr. Staveley, the governor.] 
" If his lordship will hear me, I will tell him the truth.'* 
Mr. Staveley having communicated her request, his lordship 
said, "I will hear you, but speak the truth." The prisoner 
then said, "Please, sir, I have an aunt, and she asked me to 
go to Leeds and get her some white mercury, to put into 
some whitening.'' His lordship here said, " You will only 
aggravate your crime if you tell an untruth." The prisoner 
then said she would speak the truth; and proceeded to 
state, that on her return, she gave it to her aunt, who came 
to their house and mixed something up, and told her that 
she might go to her work in the kitchen; and that she did 
not know that vv^hite mercury was poison : she had never 
heard of any such thing, and that she did not mean to 
poison any body. 

Great interest was excited by this remarkable case; and 
at the instigation of some powerful persons, she was re- 
prieved for three weeks ; after this a second reprieve for 
seven days arrived; and at length an order came for the 
commutation of her sentence to imprisonme];it for ten 
years. 

This year died R. B. Sheridan, the last of that constellation 
of talent, which adorned the latter part of the eighteenth 
century. As on orator he yielded not even to Pitt ; whilst in 
force and acuteness he may be compared with Fox, and in 

splendour of imagination, with Burke. On September 22nd 

upwards of 100 pieces of silver coin of the reigns of Eliza- 
beth and James I., were found in an inclosure, on Wike 

common, near Bradford. On October 19th, was opened 

the Leeds and Liverpool canal. In December, the 

grand duke Nicholas of Russia, visited Leeds, Harewood 
house, York, and many other places in the county ; amongst 
his attendants were baron Nicholai, Sir William Congreve, 
generals Kutusoff and Woronzoff, Messrs. Ciincare and 
Mansell, adjutant Perowsky, and Dr. Creighton. 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 259 

1816. 

During: this year two adult schools were established by 
the Quakers in Leeds, and a Sunday School Union by the 
A^arious religious sects, A\'ho in the following year had 5,000 
scholars under gratuitous instruction in the town. 

The late Eev. Thomas Dunham Whitaker, LL.D. and 
F.S.A., vicar of V»lialley, and rector of Heysham, in Lan- 
cashire, published this year his '■'^ Loidis and Elmete'^ and 
also a splendid edition of the '- Ducatus Leodiensis,'' of 
Thoresby, tlie antiquary, whose last female descendant was 
espoused by the doctor, who died in 1822, having himself gain- 
ed considerable celebrity both as an antiquary and historian ; 
though ma^.iy of his local i^ketches bear the evident marks 
of prejudice and partiality, owing to his rural propensities, 
and his aversion to populous manufacturing districts, where 
he too often found bis favourite edifices, (churches) crouching 
under an assemblage of towering chimneys, rising from 
noisy mills and factories to a greater altitude than the ven- 
erable parish spire; and, instead of meeting rustic sim- 
plicity, he found perhaps, men of every class possessed of 
too much worldly kiiOAvledge to be kept in rigid canonical 
obedience, especially in the populous parish of Halifax, 
where he was " shocked by a tone of defiance in every 
voice, and an air of fierceness in every countenance." The 
district having, says he, "declined into manufactures," but 
the truth is, that those manufactures have raised it from a 
sterile wilderness to a fruitful country, abounding in wealth, 
population, and social comiori, and the manners of the in- 
habitants wear not that forbidding aspect which the other- 
wise worthy doctor has attributed to them. 

In August, this year, a British armament under lord 
Exmouth, bombarded Algiers, and reduced that piratical 
state to certain desirable conditions, respecting the treat- 
ment of christian prisoners. 

The Independent chapel, in Lendal, York, was built this 

year, and cost upwards of £3,000. A public house iu 

York, known by the name of the " Hole in the Wall," be- 
coming ruinous, v/as taken down ; when on removing the 
materials, a subterraneous prison was discovered some feet 
below the surface. The approach was by a flight of stone 
steps, at the bottom of \vhich Avere two massy oaken doors, 
one against the other, each five feet seven inches high, by 
two feet seven inches broad, and five inches in thickness. 
Through these doors, entrance was obtained to the dungeon, 
■which was thirty-two feet five inches in length, nine feet 
four inches broad, and nine feet high. The walls were four 
feet ten inches thick. On the side opposite the entrance 



260 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 
I8I6.-I8I7. 

were three sloping- Avindows, strongly guarded with iron; 
and, attached to the walls, were the remains of several 
staples. In the following year, a rude piece of Saxon 
sculpture, cut upon a stone, supposed to have been the base 
of the arch over the door-way leading into this dungeon, 
was found. This singular relic represents a man in the 
agonies of death, surrounded by demons, who are torment- 
ing the body, and seizing the departing spirit. It is now 

deposited in the minster library. A steam-packet, 

fitted up by Mr. George Dodd, at Glasgow, (being the first 
that had been seen on the Thames), arrived at London from 
that port in 121 hours. 

I8I7. The lithographic art was introduced into England 
this year. 

On March 24th, Mr. Mawson's aqua fortis manufactory, 
at Burmantofts, Leeds, was completely destroyed by fire; 
unfortunately it was not insured, and the loss was several 
thousand pounds. 

This and the four following years, will always be mem- 
orable as an epoch of extraordinary distress, affecting 
almost every class of the community. To alleviate the 
distress of the unemployed poor in Leeds, liberal subscrip- 
tions were raised by the company frequenting the follow- 
ing inns, viz. : the George and Dragon, Golden Fleece, 
Bee Hive, White Swan, and some others, from which up- 
wards of 2,000 families were repeatedly relieved with 
beef, potatoes, soup, bread, and coals. Owing to the very 
bad harvest of 1816, wheat varied in price this year from 

24s. to 55s. per load of three bushels. — Tumultuary 

proceedings took place in various parts of the county ; 
and a desire for a reform in the House of Commons, 
which was supposed to be the only means of re- 
ducing the public expenditure, began to take deep 
root among the working classes. The government 
adopted expedients for counteracting the force of 
the popular spirit. Certain political emissaries, who, in 
the spring of the year, came down into the north of Eng- 
land, and who, affecting to be themselves radicals, were, 
in reality, spies and instigators. The most distinguished 
of these characters was a person of the name of Oliver, a 
man of plausible manners and of insinuating address. Mr. 
Oliver, introduced by a reputed delegate, visited the re- 
formers in Nottinghamshire, Warwickshire, and Lanca- 
shire, but the south-western part of the county of York 
was the favourite seat of his mission. Here, as in other 
places, he and his travelling companion sedulously incul- 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 261 

1817. 

cated upon their dupes the belief that the people in the 
metropolis, and in other populous parts of the kingdom, 
Mvere ready to rise in open rebellion, and w^aited only to 
be joined by the reformers of the north, in order to over- 
turn the government by physical force. To obtain credit 
•with his employers for zeal and usefulness, he assembled 
several meetings of persons whom he dignified with the 
name of delegates. 

On the 6th of June, a meeting was held at Thornhill 
Lees, at which ^Nlr. OliA^er attended in person to address 
the meeting. "While the assembly, which consisted of 
about a dozen persons, were preparing for deliberation, 
they found themselves surrounded by a strong detach- 
ment of military, headed by major-general Sir John Byng, 
the commander of the district, by whom ten of them were 
secured, and conveyed to Waketield, for examination before 
the sitting magistrates. Mr. Oliver was suttered to escape. ' 
The events of this day, however, led to a distinct recogni- 
tion of his mission, and to a public exposure, through the 
medium of the press, of his official connexions. It was 
now no longer possible to conceal the fact, that a system 
of espionage had been resorted to, and the first minister 
of state, lord Liverpool, when pressed upon the subject in 
the House of Lords, admitted " that Mr. Oliver had been 
employed by government, to gain information from the 
disturbed districts ; " but his lordship assured the house 
"that he had been discouraged from endeavouring in any 
way to excite, or to extend the disaffection which he was 
to assist in suppressing." A few days after, a full bench of 
magistrates, with the venerable earl Fitzwilliam at their 
head, assembled at the Court-house, in Wakefield, and 
after a patient inquiry into the circumstances of the case, 
discharged all the prisoners except two of them, who 
were detained by a secretary of state's warrant, under 
the Habeas Corpus Suspension Act, on a charge of high 
treason. The late Mr. Baines was chiefly instrumental in 
exposing the spy system of Mr. Oliver, and the way he 
did it is very interesting. 

" On the 13th of June, Mr. Baines received a letter from 
his friend, iNIr. James Holdforth, who, on his way to Man- 
chester, had heard facts at Dewsbury, which showed that 
a government emissary, named Oliver, had been attempt- 
ing to entrap Mr. James ^ViHan, a printer, of that place, 
to attend a meeting where ten persons had been arrested. 
Mr. Baines at once took a chaise, and went (accompanied 
by one of his sons, the present Edward Baines) to Dews- 



262 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

18 17. 

bury, to investigate the facts. He repaired to the house 
of his friend, Mr. John Halliley, jun., where Mr. James 
Willan, and at his instance Mr. John Dickinson, linen- 
draper, attended. There the plot was laid bare. Mr. 
Willan proved that Oliver, who represented himself as a 
delegate from the radicals of London, had several times, 
for the space of two months, endeavoured to seduce him 
into acts of violence and situations of danger; and that 
he had especially urged him to attend the meeting above- 
mentioned of "delegates" at Thornhill Lees on the 
previous Friday, at which meeting ten poor men were 
arrested by a party of military under the command of 
major-general Sir John Byng. Willan, who was a con- 
scientious man and a professor of the principles of the 
society of Friends, indignantly repelled every invitation 
to violence, and refused to attend the meeting. The ten 
prisoners had been conveyed, with Oliver himself, to 
Wakefield, for examination by the magistrates; but at 
that town Oliver was seen by Mr. Dickinson at liberty, 
and in communication with the servant of general Byng; 
and, on inquiring of the servant, Mr. Dickinson learnt that 
Oliver had been at his master's house, at Campsall, a few 
days before. From this and other facts the character of 
of the emissary was evident." 

Mr. Baines returned to Leeds, and published a full and 
clear statement of the whole of the facts, with the names 
of all the parties, in the Mercury of the following morning. 
He concluded his narrative with the following remarks: — ■ 

" From everything we ha^e heard of the character and conduct of 
general Byng, we are persuaded that he has been merely the medium 
for receiving Oliver's information ; and that whoever may have em- 
ployed this double-distilled traitor, the general has acted merely in the 
discharge of his official duty. But every circumstance we have ^'ust 
related proves that somebody has employed him, and the question is — « 
who were bis employers .P 

" What the trade of this man may be, we cannot pretend to say — 
but that he is a Green Bag Maker by profession is, we think, sufficiently 
obvious. Why such a wretch, the mainspring and master-piece of 
the conspiracy by which the country has been thrown into its present 
state of alarm and agitation, was suffered to escape, while the poor un- 
fortunate victims of his machinations are held in confinement, is more 
than we can say; but the subject requires deep and grave investigation, 
and we call upon the magistrates of this Riding, now that we have 
given them them the clue, to go to the bottom of this nefarious trans- 
action. 

" We ask this boon from them in support of their own character : 
we ask it from a regard to the character of the country: we ask it 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 268 

]817. 

from a regard to the government : we ask it in justice to the advocater 
of parliamentary reform : and, above all, we conjure them to enter 
into this inquiry, from a regard to the families and lives of the men at 
present in confinement, on the information of this prototype of Lucifer, 
whose distinguishing characteristic it is, first to tempt, and then to 
destroy." 

On the 9th of June, some hundreds of persons assembled 
about midnight, at a place adjoining the town of Hudders- 
lield, called Folly Hall bridge, under a delusive expecta- 
tion that they would be joined by other insurgents from 
various parts of the kingdom, and that, when united, their 
force would be sufllciently strong to overturn the govern- 
ment of the country ! The approach of half a dozen 
yeomanry cavalry produced considerable alarm amongst 
them ; but the}^ mustered military ardour sufficient to lire 
several shots, and one of the cavalry horses was wounded 
in the head. The yeomanry, not considering it prudent to 
engage with so great a disparity of numbers, retreated for 
the purpose of obtaining a reinforcement, but, before they 
could return to the field, a panic had seized the motley 
assembly at the bridge, and, in a few minutes, their force 
was completely dispersed. Four and twenty persons, 
charged with having in some way participated in this 
futile enterprise, were subsequently apprehended and 
committed to York castle, and several others escaped. At 
the assizes in July, ten of the prisoners were put upon 
their trial before baron "Wood, part of them charged with 
stealing fire arms on their Vv-ay to the place of rendezvous, 
and the remainder with aiding and abetting certain per- 
sons unknown, in firing at, with an intent to kill, maim, 
or disable Mr. David Alexander, the yeomanry cavalryman 
whose horse was shot in the head. Both the charges 
being ill-supported by evidence, all the prisoners put upon 
their trial were acquitted, and the bills presented against 
the principal part of the other prisoners were thrown out. 

Jan. 20th. The prince regent opened parliament in person. 
In the latter part of this year, the armies of the allies 

were withdrawn from the French territories The 

riotous spirit which had lately displayed itself, broke out 
again on this occasion ; and the prince on his way 
to the house was assailed by tumultuous expressions 
of disapprobation from an unusually large concourse of 
people, whose conduct on the return of the procession be- 
came more violent, the royal carriage being attacked with 
stones and other missiles in an alarming manner ; a reward 
of £1,000 was offered for the apprehension of the offenders, 



264 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

I8I7. 

but they were never discovered. 'Feb. 7th. Lord 

Castlereagh announced in the House of Commons, that the 
prince regent, sympathising with the sufferings of a gen- 
erous public, had determined to give up £50,000 per 
annum of his income ; at the same time his lordship 
communicated the intention of ministers voluntarily to 
dispense with one-tenth of their official incomes ; lord 
Camden, as one of the tellers of the exchequer, relinquished 
the whole of the enormous profits of that sinecure office, 
except £2,500, the regulated income of the other tellers; 
the expenditure of this year, on the reduced scale, was 
estimated at £6,500,000 less than that of the preceding 

one. This year Watson, Preston, Hooper, and Reene 

were committed to the tower for high treason; a reward 
of £500 was offered for the apprehension of Thistlewood, 
and a further reward of £500 for the junior Watson. 

Disturbances at Manchester. At a public meeting held 
near St. Peter's church, on the 3rd of March, by persons 
denominating themselves friends of parliamentary reform, 
notices were issued that the espousers of their doctrines 
should assemble at the same place on the 10th, and pro- 
ceed thence to the metropolis to present a petition to the 
prince regent, that they might be enabled to undeceive 
him. Accordingly on the appointed day, crowds of people 
flocked into the town from all directions ; the instigators 
were mounted in a cart, and harangued the people, until 
their increasing numbers suggested the propriety of 
putting in force the civil and military powers. A party of 
dragoons, accompanied by the magisitrates, surrounded 
the cart, and conveyed the entire group upon it to the 
New Bailey prison, and several others were seized by the 
soldiers on their way there. The concourse of auditors, 
which amounted to about 30,000, were forthwith dispersed, 
without the infliction of any severity. A considerable 
number set out on their mission to London, taking the 
route of Stockport ; but about forty of them were re- 
conducted to Manchester, and others were secured at 
Stockport. Most of them were provided with knapsacks, 
&c., containing blankets and other articles : not more than 
500 penetrated so far as Macclesfield. Nothing could be 
more wretched than their appearance : some actually 
fainting through weariness, and all of them without 
provisions, or any apparent resource with which to pro- 
ceed twenty miles further towards London. Thus ended 
what has since been known under the quaint appellation 
of the " Blanketeering Expedition." June. Watson, 



THE SURROUNDI^^'G DISTRICT. 265 

I8I7. 

Thistlewood. and some others, were put on their trial, 
in the court of king's" bench, for high treason; but, 
chiefly from the discredit thrown upon the testimony of 
Castles, the principal witness and an accomplice or spy, 
they were acquitted. — In the course of the summer, the 
turbulent disposition of the manufacturing classes ex- 
hibited itself in many parts, by atrocious acts of tumult 
and outrage ; and it was found expedient to appoint a 
special commission, to sit at Derb}- to try the offenders. 
The first four prisoners who were tried were found guilty ; 
nineteen of the others were allowed to plead guilty, 
with an understanding that mercy would be extended 
to them, and twelve were acquitted ; sentence of death 
was pronounced on twenty-three of these deluded men; 
and three of them, Brandreth, Ludlam, and Turner suffer- 
ed the full penalty of the law. 

Ou the l'2th of Feb., died Joshua Walker, M.D., one of 
the society of Friends, and twenty-five years a physician 
of the Leeds Infirmary, where he paid unwearied attention 
to the duties of his office, and, in a pecuniary point of 
view, was a truly liberal benefactor to that institution. 
He originally commenced his professional career at Hull, 
where his success vras so great as to afford him the means 
of supporting a respectable establishment in the short 
space of one year. His removal to Leeds opened a wider 
field for the exertion of his talent, and he soon rose to 
considerable eminence. Poetry was his favourite re- 
creation in his younger days, and his love of classical 
and polite literature was uniformly conspicuous during 
his whole life. 

November 6th. The princess Charlotte, only child of the 
prince regent, died immediatel}' after having given birth 

to a dead son, Xov 10th. The gig mill of Willans and 

Sons, Hunslet-lane, Leeds, was consumed by fire, and, as 
the pipes of the engines brought to extinguish the flames 
were wilfully cut, it was strongly suspected that the fire 
had been lighted by an incendiary, for the purpose of de- 
stroying the machinery. 

On Dec. 11th,. died the Rev. Henry Wm. Coulthurst, 
D.D., who was twenty-seven years vicar of Halifax, during 
which time he distinguished himself as a pastor, by piety 
and zeal; as a magistrate, by activity and judgment; 
as a subject, by loyalt}' and patriotism ; and as a<.man, 
by his urbanity and benevolence. 

A beautiful monument, executed by Westmacott, was 
erected to the memory of this excellent man in the 

23 



266 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 
I8I7..I8I8. 

parish church, in Halifax, by the parishioners. The work- 
manship is finely executed, a bust of the Dr. surmounts 
the following translation of the epitaph, from the pen 
of the late Dr. Whitaker : — (Christ — ''Alpha and Omega.'') 

Henry William Coulthurst, D.D , descended from an 
ancient and respectable family in Craven, formerly 
scholar of St. John's colleg-e, afterwards Fellow of Sid- 
ney Sussex college, Cambridge. As tutor in his college, 
as moderator in the public schools, he acquired among 
his contemporaries no common celebrity. For twenty- 
seven years he was a most vigilant vicar of this church. 
His discourses (assiduously delivered, not from his pulpit 
only, but in the several chapels of this extensive parish), 
were simple and persuasive. As a magistrate, he was 
the dispenser of equity and justice, without super- 
ciliousness or prepossession. In social intercourse, 
pleasant, facetious, elegant, yet ever with a view to 
edification. As a servant to Christ, in words, in actions, 
in heart, devoted to his Lord. Though temperate in 
diet, abstinent in wine, he was removed by a stroke 
of apoplexy, sudden indeed, but to a soul holy, tranquil 
and heaven- aspiring, not untimely, on the 11th day of 
December, a.d. 1817, in the 65th year of his age. To 
him, revered in life, in death lamented, his Halifax 
parishioners raised by public subscription this memorial. 

The Leeds infirmary grounds were considerably ex- 
tended this year by subscription ; four thousand square 
yards were purchased by Richard Fountayne Wilson, 
Esq., for £1,500, which he gave to that institution. 

The eight bells at Wakefield were replaced by a new 
peal of ten, cast by Thomas Mears, of London; the 
tenor weighs 31 cwt. 9 lbs. The chimes which play on 
them were made in 1795, by George Goodall, of Tad- 
caster. 

1818. John Squires, of Leeds, gave a fatal notoriety to his 
name by his follies, after having lived many years in 
high respectability. He was appointed to the situation 
of treasurer of the Leeds workhouse on the 16th of 
August, 1810. About four years after that, a deficiency 
appeared in his accounts of about £50. Squires ex- 
plained the cause of this, and was forgiven, the council 
cancelling one half of the debt, and taking his note for 
the other. This kindness, it was naturally thought, 
wouM have had its due influence on the mind of the 
treasurer; but, alas! for evil habits in 1817, another 
deficiency occurred, attended with circumstances that 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 267 

1818. 

called for investigation. Squires was summoned to pro- 
duce his books and attend the committee — he absconded, 
by that act tacitly admitting his guilt. On examining" 
his accounts, a defalcation nearly amounting to £2,000 
Tvas discovered. A warrant was issued, and he was 
apprehended at York. 

At the Spring assizes of 181S, he was brought to 
trial before Mr. Justice Bayley. — Mr. Williams, with 
others, were retained for the defendant, and made the 
most strenuous exertions in his behalf: the particulars, 
from their legal technicality, are omitted. The indictment 
consisted of three counts, and stated, that John Squires, 
being a clerk and servant to the churchwardens and 
overseers of the township of Leeds, did receive, by 
virtue of such his employment, the sum of fourteen 
guineas, which he fraudently embezzled and converted 
to his own use. 

Mr. Hardy stated " this was a prosecution founded on 
the statute 33rd Geo. Ill , passed to remedy a defect 
in law, and to make it larceny for any clerk or servant 
entrusted with money for the use of their employer, to 
embezzle or convert the same to their own use. 

" The prisoner was employed by the churchwardens 
and overseers of the poor of Leeds, as their clerk, to 
receive and pay money on their account ; and in the 
course of his employment he received, on the 23rd of 
June, the sum of fourteen guineas from the overseer of 
Lepton, for money advanced by the township of Leeds 
for the pa3^ment of their poor. This money the prisoner 
did not account for, but secreted and converted it to 
his own use. In the month of January last, in conse- 
quence of some suspicion entertained of his conduct, 
the committee, consisting of the churchwardens and 
overseers, appointed a day for the examination of the 
out-town paupers and of his accounts. Notice was sent 
to the members of the committee, desiring their at- 
tendance ; and in pursuance thereof they did attend, 
but the prisoner did not make bis appearance, and it 
was soon discovered he had absconded." 

After the case had been fully gone through, the jury 
conferred together a few moments, and found the prisoner 
"Guilty;" but expressed their wish that the court 
would, in consideration of his former good character, 
shew him all the mercy the circumstances of the case 
would admit. 

On Monday, after sentence had been passed on the 



^68 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1818. 

other prisoners, John Squires was placed at the bar, 
and, being- asked in the usual terms what he had to say- 
why sentence of death should not be passed upon him, 
pleaded the benefit of clergy, adding, " 1 hope, my lord, 
you v/ill be merciful; I did not intend to defraud any 
one." His lordship shook his head in token of his dis- 
approbation, and thus addressed the prisoner : — 

" It is very painful to me to have to pass sentence 
upon a man of your age, and who has for so many 
years filled a respectable situation in life, and received 
so hig-h a character from so many respectable persons ; 
and this pain has been much increased by what I have 
just heard you say, that you did not mean to defraud, 
because it shews that you have not that contrition 
which you ought to feel. You were placed in a situation 
of trust : you enjoyed, and it was supposed you deserved, 
the confidence of your employers ; you had a salary which, 
would have enabled you to maintain yourself and pass 
the latter period of your life respectably and creditably, 
as you had done until these transactions took place. 

" How far and how dreadfully have you fallen! The 
crime was committed with a deliberation, and it had the 
great aggravation of being often repeated; for, besides 
the particular sum of £14 14s., which forms the subject 
of the charge against you, which it was your duty to have 
entered to the credit of your employers, and to have ac- 
counted to them for, you have admitted a defalcation to 
no less a sum than £1,800. If there could have been the 
least pretence or ground for supposing that the omission 
to enter the account for that sum, was the effect of mistake 
or accident, the jury, who were so much inclined to pity 
you, and who recommended that the court would extend 
towards you all the mercy the circumstances of the case 
would allow, would not have found you guilty. 

" This recommendation the court does not forget, and 
under all the circumstances of your case, the court doth 
adjudge, " That you be imprisoned in the House of Cor- 
rection at Wakefield, for the term of two years." 

On January 7th, pursuant to the resolutions of a 
public meeting, a Savings' Bank, since called the Leeds, 
Skyrack, and Morley Savings' Bank, was established in 
Leeds, on the plan proposed by government. It is a very 
handsome stone building, and is situated at No. 30, Bond- 
street. In November, 1857, there were deposits amounting 
to £304,322 3s. Id., belonging to 11,447 depositors, 97 
charitable societies, and 93 friendly societies. The bank 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 269 

1818. 

is open every Tuesday morning from half-past 11 to half- 
past 1; Tuesday evening, from 6 to half-past 7; Thursday 
morning, from 12 to half-past 1; Saturday morning, from 
12 to half-past 1, for general business, and again on Satur- 
day evening, from 6 to half-past 7 o'clock, for receiving 
deposits only. Mr. Wm. Tanner is secretary.. 

Jan. 14th. A calamitous fire destroyed Mr. Thomas 
Atkinson's cotton mill, at Colne bridge, near Hudderstield, 
and no fewer than seventeen females, between the ages 
of nine and eighteen years, perished in the fiames, as is 
recorded on a neat monument erected to their memory in 

Kirkheaton church yard. On March 12th, the first 

stone of that handsome structure, the Wellington bridge, 
which crosses the river Aire at Bean Ing, near Leeds, was 
laid by B. Gott, Esq. It was built by subscription, under 
an act of parliament, and was completed in 1819. It is a 
handsome structure of one noble elliptical arch of 100 feet 
span, designed and executed by the celebrated engineer 

John Rennie, at the cost of £7,000. In excavating 

the site of an ancient house in Wade-lane, Leeds, in April, 
were found a quantity of copper coins, so much corroded, 
that the inscriptions were very imperfect ; they each bore 
a crowned head, and on the reverse some had a male and 
others a female, in different attitudes. They were probably 
some of the early Koman coins, at least one of them ap- 
peared to be of the emperor Otho. June 25th. At the 

general election lord Milton and the hon. J. A. Stuart 
Wortley were elected members of parliament for the 

county of York. The Savings' Bank, at Huddersfield, 

was established this year. The seventy-fifth Wesleyan 

Methodist Conference was held in Leeds, in August. 

A lizard was found alive in a solid block of coal, raised 
from the middle of a seam, 150 yards below the surface of 
the earth, in William Fenton Esq.'s coal mine, at Wake- 
field Outwood. It was five inches long, of the species 
vulgarly called askers, and, on being exposed to the air, 

it died. On September 30th, several human skeletons, 

without any coffins, were found in a gravel pit between 
York and Holgate, five or six feet below the surface. One 
appeared to be the skeleton of a female, for round one of 
the wrists was a curious plaited bracelet, and near the 
skull a pair of silver ear-rings. Three small coins were 
found at the same time, two of the emperor Constantine, 

and one of Crispus. The West-Riding pauper Lunatic 

Asylum, at Wakefield, was opened November 23rd, and 
cost upwards of £40,000. Queen Charlotte, consort 



270 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1818.-1819. 

of George III., died November 17th. The Leeds gas 

light company was incorporated by act of parliament, 
this year. The original works are in York-street; 
afterwards a gasometer station was made at Sheep- 
scar, and in 1857 new and extensive works, nearly 
equal to the old works, were erected at New Wort- 
ley, near Leeds. The original capital, £20,000; the 
present capital, with loans, about £150,000. The offices 
of the company, No. IS, Boar-lane. Mr. W. C. Raper, 
general manager. 

1819. William Hey, Esq., F.R S., an eminent surgeon 
of Leeds, was born at Pudsey, on the 3rd Sept., (23rd 
Aug., old style) 1736, and was third son of Mr. Richard 
Hey, drysalter, of that town. His mother was the 
daughter of Jacob Simpson, surgeon, of Leeds, and grand- 
daughter of William Simpson, M.D., of Wakefield. When 
William Hey was about four years old, he lost the use 
of his right eye by a wound received from a penknife 
whilst cutting a piece of string. At the age of seven 
years he was sent to an academy at Heath, near Wake- 
field; conducted by Mr. Joseph Randall, and with Dr. 
Dodgsou, bishop of Elphin, and the Rev. Mr. Sedgwich, 
(afterwards head master of the free school, at Leeds), 
as classical tutors. During the seven years that he 
remained at this school, he applied himself to his studies 
with great diligence and industry, and thus acquired a 
vast amount of useful knowledge. At the age of four- 
teen years he was apprenticed to Mr. Dawson, a surgeon 
and apothecary, at Leeds. He served his time with 
great credit to himself, and to the satisfaction of his 
master. During this time he was most assidious in the 
studies connected with his profession, and was particu- 
larly remarkable for temperance, industry and piety. 
In the autumn of 1757, he went to London to complete 
his professional education. During the whole winter he 
seldom employed less than twelve hours daily in the 
lecture and dissecting rooms, and thus he was enabled 
to acquire a thorough and practical knowledge of ana- 
tomy. He became a pupil of St. George's hospital, 
under William Bromefield, Esq. Early in 1759, he at- 
tended the lectures of Dr. Blackenzie on midwifrey, and 
early in April of the same year, he returned to Leeds 
to enter upon his practice as a surgeon and apothecary, 
&c., but for several years his progress in gaining busi- 
ness was very slow. On the 30th of July, 17G1, Mr. 
Hey married Alice, the second daughter of Mr. Robert 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 271 

1819. 

Banks, a gentleman of Craven, in Yorkshire. After the 
establishment of the Leeds general infirmary, he was 
appointed one of the surgeons, and in November, 1773, 
became the senior surgeon of the institution. Three 
or four years before this time, he commenced a friendly 
intercourse with the celebrated Dr. Priestley, who 
then resided at Leeds, and the two together conversed 
with the greatest freedom and harmony on philoso- 
phical subjects ; but on theological matters there was 
much difference of opinion between them, though not 
sufficient to sever their friendship, which remained 
steadfast for many j-ears. On the recommendation of 
Dr. Priestle)", Mr. Hey was, in the year 1775, elected a 
fellow of the royal society. In the year 177S, Mr. Hey 
had the misfortune to receive a kick from his horse, 
which threatened for a time to terminate his professional 
labours. He then stood very high as an operating surgeon, 
and had a large practice. By this accident, his leg was 
permanently injured, so that till his death he was never 
able to walk without the aid of a crutch. He was then 
obliged to pay his professional visits in a carriage. On 
the formation of a Leeds philosophical society in 17S3, 
Mr. Hey became president, and read many valuable 
papers to the members during the three years of its 
existence. In 17S6 he was elected an alderman of the 
borough of Leeds ; and in the following year was ap- 
pointed mayor. He was again elected mayor in 1S02. In 
the spring of ISOO, he gave a course of twelve anatomical 
lectures at the Leeds infirmary. The first eleven lectures 
were delivered on the bod}^ of a malefactor who had been 
executed at York. The clear profits of the course were 
given to the infirmary, and amounted to £27 6s. In 1S03 
he gave a second course, the subject being the body of one 
of the murderers of an old woman near Wakefield. He 
presented the profits (forty guineas) to the infirmary. In 
1805 he gave a third course, by which the institution 
gained £45 7s. In the year 1S09 he gave a fourth and last 
course. The subject dissected was a \' oman of atrocious 
character — Mary Bateman. A great many people attended 
these last lectures, aud the profits Mr. Hey presented to 
the institution, amounting to £80 14s. 

On October 7th, 1812, he resigned his office of surgeon 
to the Leeds infirmary, which he had held above forty-five 
years, thirty-nine of which he had been senior surgeon. 
On the following day his son William was unanimously 
elected to the office vacated by the resignation of his 



272 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1819. 

father. The following document will illustrate the feelings 
with which the trustees of the inlirmary accepted the 
resignation of Mr. Hey. It was beautifully engrossed 
on vellum, and ornamented with a vignette of the in- 
firmary : — 

" At a special meeting of the trustees of the general infirmary, at 
Leeds, held th? 22nd da.y of October, IS 12, in conformity with a reso* 
lution passed at the annual board, on the 7th instant : — It was resolved 
unanimously — 

" That the thanks of this meeting be given to William Hey, Esq. 
F.H.S , late senior sargeon to the Leeds infirmary, who, by his zealous 
exertions in originally promoting its foundation, and his unwearied at- 
tention to its interests for a j^eriod of forty- five years, is justly entitled, 
to ths appellation of a parent lo the institution ; and who, by a skilful 
and unremitting discharge of the duties of his professional situation 
in the establishment, from his appointment to it in the year 1767, to 
his late resignation on account of advanced age, has rendered the most 
essential services to so excellent a charity, and furnished a bright ex- 
ample to all those who may hereafter be called to fill the same im- 
portant station. Resolved — 

"Thnt as a permanent mark of gratitude for his public exertions, 
anJ esteem for his character, the fripnds of the institution shall be 
allowed to place his portrait in the board room. Resolved — 

" That the address of thanks, prepared by the committee appointed 
for that purpose, at the meeting of the 7th of October, and now read, 
be presented to Mr Hey by the chairman, together with these resolu- 
tions : and that the resolutions be published in each of the Leeds 
newspapers. (Signed) W. York, chairman. 

Mr. Hey acknowledged the honour conferred on him by the following 
letter addressed to the trustees : — 

"Gentlemen, — The unusual manner in which you were pleased to ex- 
press your vote of thanks for my past services to the charity, calls for 
my mast grateful acknowledgment. I am truly sensible of your kind- 
ness, and could have wished to express in person the sense which I en- 
tertain of your distinguished favour ; but my feelings qui e overcame me, 
and rendered it iinpossible for mo to express what t wi.-^hed to say on the 
occasion. Be assured, however, that I shall retain a lively sense of 
your kindness, as long as the remembrance of past events shall remain 
with me. If I have contributed in any degree to the formation and 
support of this institurion, which is now extending its charitable as- 
sistance to so great a number of our afflicted fellow-creatures, I desire 
to consider myself only as an humble instrument in the hands of that 
gracious Being who endears us to each other by making us virtually 
the channels of his bounty. Permit me, gentlemen, to a.ssure you 
that my prayers for the success of this birnevolent institution will 
never be wanting ; and allow me to add, that the sight of this house 
of mercy is one of the daily sources of consolation that attend my 
derdining years. " I remain, gentlemen, with great respect, 

" Your obliged and humble servant, 

Oct. 9th, 1812. "William Hey." 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 273 

1819. 
« To William Hey, Esq., F.R.S. 

" Sir — The tra.stees of the general infirmary in this to^vn cannot 
satisfy their feelings with the token.s of respect and izratitude which 
you have already received, however unanimously, however cordially 
the same were conveyed, without some further expre.^sion of their 
sense of 3^our services. After having actively assisted in the original 
formation of this institution, you have continued through the long 
period of forty- five years, to afford it the advantage of your professional 
skill with diligence and fidelity. You have oftpn effectually recom- 
mended it to the patronage of your friends. You have often contrihuted 
largely to its liigh and deserved estimation with the public. You have 
essentially served its funds by repeated liberal communications of 
knowledge in j'our lectures to those pupils who ma}", at some future 
period endeavour to follow in your footsteps. 

" You retire, sir, from your charge, but we trust you will never be 
■unmindful of the interests of the infirmar}^, nor fail to promote its 
welfare, while the Almighty preserves your valuable life. 

" May the evening of .your daj's be cheered with the blessings of 
multitudes who are ready to perish ! May this expression of the 
unanimous feelings of the friends and supporters of the institution 
contribute to soothe your declining years, and may you experience the 
high gratification of seeing your so?i emulating his father, and pro- 
mising to terminate his services wifh e^jual honour ! With sincere 
and due respect and esteem, we have the pleasure to subscribe 
ourselves '• Your faithful and humble servants, 

"W. YORK, THOMAS BISCHOFF, T. S. E. READE. 

JOHX BLAYDS, JOHN CLAPHAM, THOMAS TEALE. 

Leeds, Oct. 22nd, 1812. "Committee." 

Mr. Hey highly deserved these laudations. His in- 
tellectual powers were of a high order. Fie was capable 
of profound investigation ; was acute in discovering the 
difference of things : patient and diligent in his researches. 
His chirurgical writings evince a strong, comprehensive, 
and enlightened view of the subjects which he undertook 
to illustrate, and are very valuable to the faculty. In 
the exercise of his profession, he was indefatigable ; in 
its attainments eminently distinguished. In domestic life 
he was kind, tender, and affectionate; as a magistrate, 
just, legal, and conscientious. Through life he was re- 
markable for sobriety and temperance, united with wisdom 
and christian piety. 

At the age of 82, his eye- sight was remarkably good, so 
that he could read and write in a good light without 
spectacles, and his handwriting Avas firm and distinct, 
without any of those irregularities which denote a tremu- 
lous pen. His hearing Avas A'^ery acute; and his vocal 
powers, although much diminished, were agreeable. The 
distinctness of his conceptions, the soundness of his judg- 



274 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1819. 

ment, his orderly and correct mode of thinking, and his 
facility of conveying his notions with perspicuity, copious- 
ness and fluency did not appear to have suffered any dim- 
inution. This eminent man died on Tuesday, the 23rd of 
March, 1819, full of honours and at the advanced age of 
83. On the following Saturday he was buried at St. Paul's 
church Leeds. His funeral was attended by a great num- 
ber of his friends and fellow-townsmen; and a funeral 
sermon was preached on the following day (Sunday) by his 
friend and liighly respected pastor, the Rev. Miles Jackson, 
in the church of St. Paul, where Mr. Hey had been a constant 
attendant on divine worship since its consecration in 1793. 
The death of Mr. Hey was an event deeply felt and 
sincerely lamented throughout the borough of Leeds. A 
full length marble statne of Mr. Hey (by Chantry) was 
subsequently erected by the subscriptions of his fellow- 
townsmen, and is placed in the Leeds general infirmary. 

The Leeds Independent newspaper was first published on 

Jan. 7th, and existed till 182G. The Leeds Gazette was 

established in 1829; it lived twenty-two weeks. 

A prelemjnary meeting for the formation of the Leeds 
Philosophical and Literary Society was held at the court 
house on the 11th of December, 1818, at which the 
venerable Mr. Hey, then 83 years of age, and within a 
few months of his death, presided. Among those present 
were Mr. Gott, Mr. Marshall, Mr. Tottie, Mr. William Hey, 
Mr. George Banks, Dr. Thorp, Mr. John Bischoff, Mr. Thomas 
Blayds, Mr. Michael Thomas Sadler, Mr. John Atkinson, 
(Surgeon,) Mr. Jonathan Wilks, Mr. W. Osbnrn, Dr. Payne, 
Dr. Hunter, Mr. C. J. Thackrah, Mr. John Gott, Mr. West, 
Mr. E. S. George, Mr. Baines, sen., and Mr. Baines, junr., 
and others. 'I'he foundation stone of the hall, which is 
situated in Bond-street, at the junction of Park-row, was 
laid by the late Benjamin Gott, Esq., July 9th, 1819, and 
i\\e buildin-r executed from designs by R. D. Chantrell, Esq. 
It is a handsome stone structure, consisting of two stories, 
having the upper one externally adorned with coupled pilas- 
ters of the Doric order. The principal entrance is in Bond- 
street, and opens into a vestibule, or entrance hall, 22 feet 
b}'^ 16, leading to a commodious lecture hall, 44 feet by 31)^, 
having seats for 300 persons ; the council room, 12 feet by 
14; library, 25 feet by 13; and ante-room, 15 feet by 14. 
The princi])al parts of the museum are the upper story, and 
consist of curator's room, 21 feet by 13; geological room 
49 feet by 15; ditto., 24 feet by 20; and zoological room, 
42 feet by 3L In the centre of the latter are tables giving 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 275 

1819. 

295 feet of space ; and in the general geological room, two 
tables occupying 8S feet, and two cases 100 feet. The 
museum is equal, if not superior, to that of any other pro- 
vincial institution in the kingdom. 

In the vestibule is placed the entire skeleton of an elephant, a 
splendid skull and tusk ot" the same animal, a very fine specimen of 
the Plesiosaurus macrocephalus. some remarkably fine specimens of 
fossil plants, a basaltic column from the giant's causeway, and a statue 
of the late M. T. Sadler, M.P., modelled by Parke. 

The geological collection comprises 7,000 specimens ; some of these 
are unique, many of great value, and every formation is represented 
by some of its characteristic fossils. The mineralogical series extends 
to ],300 specimens, and includes examples of most of the metalliferous 
and earthy compounds. The zoological collection, 6,000 in number, 
includes quadrupeds, bird.s, reptiles, fishes, zoophytes, mollusca, insects, 
Crustacea, and other invertebrated animals. The museum also con- 
tains many other objects of great interest and value, particularly the 
Egyptian mummy, one of the most interesting which has been brought 
to Europe It came from Trieste, and wa.s pre-ented by Thos. Blaj-ds, 
Esq. The coffin is covered with mythological representations and in- 
scriptions, which have been interpreted by W. Osburn, Esq., M.R.S.L., 
a townsman, proving it t j contain the mortal remains of Ensa Amoun, 
who was one of the higher order of the priesthood — the hierogramma- 
ti>t«, who lived during the reign of Eameses, or Ramses IX., and was 
incense-bearer and scribe, who took part in the religious ceremonials 
in the meii.nonium at Thebes, about the year 1075 before Christ, or, 
according to archbishop T.'sher's chronology, early in the reign of Saul, 
king of Israel. The body is in a remarkable state of preservation. 
There is also a collection of domestic and warlike instruments of 
foreign nations. The library contains 1,200 vols, on natural history 
and numi.smatics ; many, rare and costly In 1854 the society was 
enriched by the valuable collection of coins, medals, and books on the 
study of archaeology, bequeathed by the late George Baron, Esq , of 
Drewton manor. This collection comprises a series of upwards of 
2,000 coins and medals of great variety and beauty, including Roman, 
Grecian, Saxon, early Briti.sh, English, Scotti.sh,and Oriental examples : 
also casts from Roman large brass coins, the whole containing 216 
gold, 1,259 silver, 246 bronze, and 363 bras.>> coins and medals, besides 
tokens, money weights, &c. The right hon. lord Londesborough has 
also recently presented 300 Roman coins, found near Methall, in the 
East-Riding, the supposed site of the Delgovitia of Antoninus's Itin- 
erary : and, in the year 1858, George Lane Eox, Esq., of Bramham 
hall, liberally presented his museum, containing several hundred 
sp-icimens of birds, shells, fossils, minerals, antiquities, See, some of 
them of gr^at rarity. 

The arrangement of the museum has lately been materially im- 
proved, and new cases added. 

In the zoological room will be found ample illustrations of all the 
cla.s.ves of the animal kingdom, embracing the most interesting and 
important specimens. The shells have been re-arranged, with upwards 



276 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1819. 

of 2,000 additional specimens from Jamaica, California, &c. The 
geological specimens, illustrative of the Yorkshire coal-field, and its 
superficial deposits have been separately arranged, by which, not only 
an epitome of the geology of the immediate neighbourhood, *but 
practical illustrations of the organic remains of the carboniferous 
epoch, is obtained. In the centre of this room is deposited the most 
extensive series of Hippopotamic bones ever exhumed in England: all 
vs'ere discovered in a brick-field at Wortley, in the parish of Leeds, in 
1852. From the bones thus obtained, it was evident four specimens 
of this animal — three adult and one young — had been submerged in 
the locality, together with the Mammoth and Bos primigenus. Amongst 
the Ichthyological remains is the unique head of the Megalichthys 
Hibberti from the coal formation at Low Moor, and other valuable 
specimens of the fish of the carboniferous sera. 

In the general geological room, there is an extensive and valuable 
series of organic remains, illustrating the various formations, em- 
bracing several fine Saurian reptiles, a magnificent skeleton of the 
gigantic Irish Deer presented by W. Gott, Esq., (one of the most muni- 
ficent supporters of the institution, as may be seen by the rare and 
valuable contributions inscribed with his name); and one of the finest 
heads and horns in the kingdom, of the same noble animal, presented 
by Sir George Goodman ; fine slabs of new red sandstone, containing 
the footmarks of the Labyrinthodon ; several splendid specimens of 
Encrinites ; a magnificent skull and entire skeleton of the Great Cave 
Bear, from the caverns of Sundvvig, in Westphalia ; and an interesting 
series from the celebrated cave at Kirkdale, in Yorkshire. 

The British birds have also been re-arranged, and consequently 
rendered more available for reference, and some rare specimens 
have been added to both the Foreign and British series — as the 
noble specimen of the Condor, presented by the earl Fitzwilliamj 
the Cassowarj'-, from lord Londpsborough ; and the splendid Trogon 
from Arthur Marshall, Esq. 

The hal' contains three fine busts and pedestals in marble, viz : — 
the late Benjamin Gott, Esq., presented by his sons, and executed 
by Joseph Gott, Esq., of Eome; the late John Marshall, Esq., (the 
first president) presented by his sons, and executed by Macdonald, 
of Rome; the Rev. Wm. Sinclair, M,A , presented by a number 
of subscribers, and executed by Baron Marochetti; and a cast of 
the late Wm. Hey, Esq., F.R S., presented by Wm. Hey, Esq., &c. 

The opening of the museum to the public at the merely 
nominal charge of Id., has done much to foster a taste for 
the study of natural history, and it may be questioned 
whether any town of like magnitude with Leeds, can 
boast of such a number of naturalists, especially among 
the working classes, many of whom associate together in 
clubs, for the purpose of aiding each other in procuring 
specimens illustrative of the various kingdoms of nature. 

Numerous lectures are delivered on almost every subject 
within the range of philosophy, science/and literature, and 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 2J7 

1819. 

men of the most eminent qualifications are usually selected 
as lecturers. During the last few years the society has 
been honoured with the presence, in this capacity, of some 
of the most distinguished men of the time. 

A conversazione is held once or twice during the year, 
when the council invite the elite of the town and neigh- 
bourhood. 

The Rev. Dr. Hook, dean of Chichester, was the last 
president. The officers and council for 1859, are — 

Officers: — President, — Rev. Alfred Barry, M.A. Vice-Presi- 
dents, — John Hope Shaw, Rev. H. R. Reynolds, B.A. Treasurer, — 
Henry Oxley. Honorary Secretaries, — Wm. Sykes Ward, F.C.S., P. 
O'Callasfhan, B.A. Honorary Curator in Geology, — J. G. Marshall, 
F.G.S. ^ Honorary Curators in Zoology,— T. P. Teale, F.L.S., 
Rev. Thomas Hincks, B.A. Honorary Curator in Antiquities and 
"Works of Art, &o., — Thomas Nunneley. Plonorary Librarian, — Dr. 
Heaton. 

The above Officers, and thefollovnng Gentlemen, compose the 
Council : — William Scrope Ayrton, F.S.A. ; William Blanshard, 
Charles Chadwick, M.D.; Samuel Hey, Joshua Ingham Jkin, John 
Jowitt, jun., Christopher Keraplay, George Morley, George Pvemont 
Smith, M.D., T. W. Stansfeld. Sub-Curator,— Henry Denny, 
A.L.S. 

May 24th, Queen Victoria born. The first steam 

vessel from America, arrived July 15th. The first 

stone of the Leeds Subscription Baths was laid May 15th. The 
site of these baths are now occupied by Cooper's warehouses 

in Wellington-street. Leeds wasfirst lighted with coal gas 

on February 4th. The first stone of the Episcopal chapel at 

Sowerby Bridge was laid on the 24th of April, by Thos. Dyson, 
Esq., andonthelOthof May, that of the Independent chapel at 

Halifax, by the Rev. Edward Parsons. On May 29tb, 

Mr, Asquith, of Hipperholme, was cruelly thrown over ihc 
battlements of Halifax bridge, by some unknown assassin, 
and, being precipitated to a depth of forty-six feet, was 
found dead the next morning. Afterwards the bridge was 
surmounted with iron palisades, in the ho]}c to prevent 

any similar occurrence. On the same day Mas laid 

the first stone of the large Methodist chapel, in Huddcrs- 
field, where the erection of a national school commenced 

September 3rd. On December 17th, Benjamin Surr, 

a poor innocent of Leeds, about thirty years of age, was 
found chained to the wall in his father's cellar, in which 
distressing situation he had been inhumanly confined 
during fifteen years, with nothing but a few sacks and a 

24 



278 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1819. 

little straw for his bed, and such a scanty supply of food 
that his bones had in several places penetrated through his 
skin, which appeared not to have been washed for many 
years. He was removed to the workhouse, but only sur- 
vived thirteen days. This year, John Pollard, Esq., 

erected, at the cost of £1,500, an iron bridge over the Aire, 

near Horsforth. B. Haigh Allen, Esq., built Trinity 

church, near Huddersfield. A new spring was dis- 
covered at Harrogate, of the same quality as the Chelten- 
ham water. In the autumn of this year, the misery 

of the working classes had reached its greatest lieight, 
and still parliamentary reform was demanded, as the only 
measure which could permanently improve their prospects. 
A party called Radical Reformers, obtained much 
notice by their active exertions among the lower orders. 
One of their first steps was an application to the 
magistrates of Manchester, to convoke a meeting for the 
alleged purpose of petitioning against the corn bill, 
which was refused; and, in consequence, the meeting 
was summoned by an anonymous advertisement, and Mr. 
H. Hunt, who was selected as the hero of the day, was 
conducted to the place of meeting in a sort of triumphal 
procession, and a strong remonstrance to the prince regent 
was adopted; the assemblage, however, dispersed without 
tumult. In Lancashire, female reform societies were 
formed for the purpose of co-operating with the men, and 
of instilling into their children " deep rooted hatred of our 
tyrannical rulers." At Birmingham, the reformers haz- 
arded a bolder experiment than they had before displayed. 
This was the election of a member to represent them in 
parliament, and on the 12th of July, Sir Charles "Wolseley 
was put in nomination, and instantly chosen by an assem- 
blage of 15,000 persons. A few daya after this, it was 
resolved, at a meeting in Leeds, that a similar election 
should take place as soon as an eligible member should be 
found. 

On the 24th of July, an atrocious attempt was made to 
assassinate Mr. Birch, deputy-constable of Stockport, by 
whose exertions Sir C. Wolseley and Harrison, two radical 

reformers, were arrrsted.' The Manchester reformers 

posted up notices of a nieetiitg, to be lield on the 9th of 
August, for the purpose of electing a member as at Birm- 
ingham ; as the object of the meeting was illegal, the 
magistrates would not suffer it to take place. In conse- 
quence of this determination, they relinquished the design, 
and issued notices of a meeting, for the legal object of 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 279 

1819. 

petitioning for a reform in parliament, to be held on the 
16th of August. An open space in the town, called St. 
Peter's field, (since Feterloo), was selected as the place of 
assembly; some hours before the proceedings were to 
commence, large bodies marched in from the neighbouring 
to\vus and villages, formed five deep, and preserving a 
military regularity of step : each body had its own banner, 
bearing a motto, and underneath a white silk flag; two 
clubs of female reformers appeared ; the numbers col- 
lected were estimated at 60,000. A band of special con- 
8tables,3tationed on the ground, disposed themselves so as 
to form a line of communication from a house where the 
magistrates were sitting, to the stage fixed for the orators. 
Soon after the business of the meeting had been opened, 
a body of yeomanry cavalry entered ihe ground, and ad- 
vanced to the stage with drawn swords ; the commanding 
oflScer called to Mr. Hunt, who was speaking, that he was 
his prisoner; Mr. Hunt, after enjoining the people to be 
tranquil, and offering to surrender to any civil officer who 
should exhibit his warrant, was taken by a constable, and 
several other persons were apprehended. Some of the 
yeomanry now cried, " have at their flags ! " and they began 
to strike down the banners which were raised in various 
parts of the field, when a scene of dreadful confusion en- 
sued. The people stood in a very compact mass, and re- 
fused to move. The yeomanry were then ordered to clear 
the place. Their charge swept everything before it. 
People, yeomen, and constables, in their confused attempts 
to escape, ran one over the other so that the fugitives 
were literally piled up to a considerable elevation above 
the level of the ground. About thirty wounded persons 
were carried to the infirmary in the course of that after- 
noon and the following day ; and about forty more were 
able to go themselves to have slighter injuries looked at 
and dressed. The greater number of the injuries were 
contusions or fractures. The cases of sabre wounds do not 
appear to have been move than twenty or thirty. Three or 
four persons were wounded on the evening of the fatal day 
by the fire of one of the regiments of foot, which was 
ordered to clear the streets, where the people had re-assem- 
bled in great numbers, and their conduct had begun to be 
threatening. Altogether, the number of lives lost appears 
to have been five or six, including one of the special con- 
stables, ridden over by the hussars ; and one of the Man- 
chester yeomen, struck of his horse by a brick-bat, and who 
had his skull fractured either by the blow or the fall. Mr. 



280 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1819. 

Hunt subsequenty stated in the House of Commons tlist 14 
were killed, and 618 wounded; but this seems to have been 
exaggerated. The tragic nature of this event, and its ap- 
pearing as an invasion of the popular right of meeting for 
redress of grievances, produced strong marks of public 
resentment ; but the magistrates who conducted the attack, 
received the thanks of the government. 

Meetings were held in London and other places, and reso- 
lutions passed, strongly censuring the conduct of the ma- 
gistrates and yeomanry of Manchester. Never was public 
detestation more strongly and generally expressed than on 
the " Manchester massacre," which, notwithstanding, re- 
ceived the sanction of the prince regent and the ministers, 
though no justifiable plea could be advanced to warrant the 
proceedings of the hot-headed yeomanry ; and it is believed 
that Mr. Hunt might have been secured without spilling 
one drop of human blood, if the veteran regulars, who 
Avere on the spot, had been employed. These consisted of 
a detachment of the 15th hussars, and the 31st regiment of 

infantry, supported by artillery. r- Reform meetings 

were held on Hunslet moor, near Leeds, on June 5th, 14th, 
and 21st, and on July 19th, Sept. 20th, and on Dec. 9th ; also, 
on Skircoat moor, near Halifax, on Oct. 4th; at York, on 
Sept. 20th and Oct. 14th ; at Huddersfield, on Aug. 2nd ; 
at Wakefield, on Aug. 30th and Nov. 1st; at Barnsley, 
Nov. 8th ; at Dewsbury, Nov. 1 1th ; and at Otley, Nov. 22nd. 

When parliament re-assembled in November, acts were 
passed to suppress unstamped political publications, to 
prevent secret training to arms, and to restrict the right 

of calling a public meeting to magistrates. This year was 

remarkable among other things, for the provision made by 
act of parliament, for the resumption of cash payments at 

the bank. ^Government found it expedient to abandon 

the threatened prosecution of Hunt and his colleagues for 
high treason, and informed them that they would be pro- 
ceeded against for a conspiracy only, which might be bailed ; 
Hunt refused to give bail, but some of his friends liberated 
him. His return from Lancaster to Manchester was one 
long triumphal procession ; waited upon by thousands on 
horse, on foot, and in carriages. The grand jury of Lan- 
caster found true bills against Hunt, Johnson, Moorhouse, 
and others. The prisoners availed themselves of traversing' 
till the spring assizes of 1820, and the trial took place at 
York. After a trial of ten days. Hunt, Johnson, Knight, 
Healey, and Bamford were found guilty, and sentenced iii 
the ensuing term; Hunt to be imprisoned in Ilchester gaol 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 281 

1819. 

two years and six months, and to find sureties for liis good 
behaviour for five years; and Johnson, Bamford, and Healey 
be imprisoned each one year in Lincoln castle, and to 
find sureties ; four of the prisoners were acquitted. 

Oct. 21st. The venerable earl Fitzwilliam was removed 
from the office of lord-lieutenant of the "West-Riding of 
Yorkshire, by the prince regent for having attended a county 
meeting at York on the 14th of October, to petition for a 
full enquiry into the Manchester massacre. It is said that 
20,000 people were present at this meeting. So strong was 
the public feeling against this sudden removal of an old 
and faithful statesman, that many distinguished persons 
resigned their commissions in the Yorkshire corps of yeo- 
manry and militia. The office was bestowed on the earl 
of Harewood. 

]\Iay. As a number of labourers were excavating a piece 
of ground contiguous to the river Aire, near Simpson's fold, 
now Dock-street, Leeds, about three feet below the bed of the 
river, they discovered three large oak trees, decayed, and 
as black as charcoal, and one quite sound at the heart ; 
they were employed by the Aire and Calder company in 
making a basin, or dock, to communicate with the Aire, 
and to their astonishment found evident traces of a goit ; 
large quantities of piles or stakes were discovered on each 
side of the course of the water, exhibiting the appearance 
of its having formerly been the course of the river. Part 
of a Roman ford was also discovered; the substance of 
which it was composed seemed calculated to dely the 
action of water, being as hard as iron, close and compact, 
and of a composition known only to that adventurous 
people. From observations made when the water was at 
a very low ebl), the ford appeared to have crossed the Aire 
in a line with the east end of the Aire and Calder company's 
new com warehouses stretching from Call-lane to the 
south side of the river, and nearly opposite to the flax 
manufactory, in Dock-street. 

James Watt, a distinguished engineer and natural philo- 
sopher, who has gained great celebrity by his improve- 
ments in the steam-engine, was born at Greenock, in Scot- 
land, January 19th, 1736. His father was a ship-chandler, 
builder, and merchant, and filled an honourable station in 
his native town, where he was much respected. James, 
his eldest son, was, when a child, very weak in health, and 
early showed a taste for scientific pursuits. He was fond 
of chemistry, and also of medical and surgical studies ; but 
he determined to become a mathematical instrument maker. 



282 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, ANt) 

1819. 

In 1755, after a previous apprenticeship, most likely in 
Glasg:ow, Watt went to pursue his business in London, 
where he remained little more than a year. After his 
return, he endeavoured to establish himself in Glasgow; 
but in consequence of not being a burgess, he met with so 
much opposition that he was unable to obtain a workshop. 
The university offered to receive him into their precincts, 
which were not under the civic jurisdiction, and also ap- 
pointed him their mathematical Instrument maker. This 
happened in 1757, when Watt was scarcely 21. In the 
winter of 1763-4 he was applied to by a professor of natural 
philosophy to examine and repair a model of Newcomen's 
steam-engine, which would not work. This incident led 
to those inventions which have immortalised his name. In 
17o4 Watt married the daughter of a freeman of Glasgow, 
and by that means acquired the right of one himself He 
therefore settled in the city, and there pursued not only 
his first business, but also that of land-surveyor and 
civil engineer. He continued his experiments on the 
steam-engine, and in 1768 applied for a patent, which 
Avas granted in 1769. After the application had been 
made, he found a person able and willing to support 
him m a Dr. John Roebuck. Their connection did not, 
however, last long; for Roebuck lost so much by mining 
speculations that he was obliged to relinquish the steam- 
engine experiments. From this period till 1773 Watt was 
employed in engineering and surveying. He then, his first 
^vii'e being dead, accepted an invitation to go to England. 
Dr. Roebuck gave up his share in the invention to Mr, 
Boulton, the founder of Soho, a manufacturing village near 
Birmingham. Watt entered into partnership with him in 
J 774, and the connection continued until 1800, when Watt 
retired from business. They obtained an extension of the 
patent, and in spite of all opposition, prejudice, and in- 
fringements of their rights, from all of which they had to 
suffer, Mr. Boulton's excellent business qualities, Watt's 
industry and ingenuity, and the liberal views and generous 
s])irit of both, received in time their due reward. James 
Watt died at his estate of Heathfield, near Birmingham, 
August 25th, 1819, in his 83rd year. He was a pleasant, 
cheerful man in his latter years, though it appears that 
when young he was nervous and depressed; his disposition 
was generous and affectionate. He was twice married: 
two only of his children survived him. A baronetcy was 
offered to Watt a few years before his death, but he de- 
clined the honour. A monument, which is one of Chantry's 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 283 

1819.-1820. 

finest works, has been erected to his memory in West- 

mins ter abbey. 

1820. On the 21st of Jan., the duke of Kent, fourth son of 
Geo. TIL, died, leaving an infant daughter, Victoria, Mith a 

very near prospect to the throne. On the 29th of 

January, George III. died, at Windsor, in his 82nd year, 
and sixtieth year of his reign, without having experienced 
any lucid interval since 1810. The prince regent was 
immediately proclaimed George IV. 

March 20th, Lord Milton and J. A. Stuart Wortley, 
Esq., were elected members of parliament for Yorkshire. 

April. About this time, the spirit of discontent created 
tumultuous proceedings at Glasgow and Paisley. Ou 
Sunday, April 2nd, a treasonable proclamation was posted 
on the Avails in Glasgow, and its neighbouring towns and 
villages, supposed to emanate from " the committee for 
the formation of a Provisional Government," and recom- 
mending the proprietors of large manufacturies to suspend 
their employments, till order should be insured by the 
organization alluded to, &c. The weavers and colliers in 
Paisley and Glasgow declined work, and this baneful ex- 
ample spread through numerous bodies of other artizans. 
Glasgow now exhibited a most extraordinary aspect, the 
streets crowded with throngs of people idly loitering their 
time away, but who did not attempt by any act to violate 
the public peace, except in one instance, viz.: on Wed- 
nesday, when an individual of the Stirling yeomanry, pro- 
ceeding from Kilsyth to Falkirk, fell in with a party armed 
with muskets, pikes, and pistols, who demanded his arms, 
which he refused to surrender, when several shots were 
discharged at him ; he, however, escaped uninjured to 
Kilsyth : the commanding officer immediately despatched 
a party of cavalry and yeomanry to scour the road to Fal- 
kirk. The military soon came in sight of the insurgents, 
who were augmented in number, and had posted them- 
selves on a rising ground in Bonnymuir, and had sought 
the protection of a stone wall, from behind which they 
fired several times, but were however overpowered by the 
military : many of the insurgents were severely wounded 
and ten taken prisoners, who afterwards were put on 
their trials and found guilty, but the royal clemency was 
extended to all but three, who were executed. 

Aug. 6th. Died Frederica Charlotte Ulrica, duchess of 
York, in her 54th year; she was interred by her express 
desire, in the village church of Walton, in Surrey. 

Caio-Street conspiracy. — On Feb. 23rd, was discovered a 



284 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

]820. 

conspiracy to assassinate his majesty's ministers, to over- 
throw the existing government, and plunge these realms 
into anarchy and confusion. The principal leaders in this 
atrocious and absurd plot, were Arthur Thistlewood,Ingd, 
Davison, Brunt, Tidd, and about forty other misguided 
persons, eleven of whom were taken prisoners, by a large 
party of constables, headed by Sir Richard Birnie, a 
magistrate, and a detachment of the Coldstream guards, 
ill a room in Cato-Street, London, where their meetings 
were held. Bills of indictment, on a charge of high 
treason, were found against them on March 27th, and a 
commission was opened on April 17th, when the five before 
named were tried, condemned, and after been hanged, 
were beheaded. The other six being permitted to with- 
draw their original plea, now pleaded guilty ; one of the 
number, it appeared, was ignorant of the purpose of the 
meetings in Cato-street, and was pardoned; the remain- 
ing five were transported for the term of their natural 
lives. 

William Smith, butcher,, of Leeds, was charged on an in- 
dictment with stealing two sheep, the property of Joseph 
and Thomas Smith, farmers, of Rothwell ; and another in- 
dictment with stealing two other sheep, the property of 
the said Joseph and Thomas Smith, and of William Lund, 
of Claxton. 

The jury found the prisoner " Guilty." — The judge said 
it was the only verdict that could be returned ; and ad- 
verting to the death of the prisoner's mother, said it was a 
most melancholy circumstance, but it was not uncommon 
for the misconduct of children to bring the grey hairs of 
their parents with sorrow to the grave. 

Great efforts were made to obtain a commutation of his 
sentence, but in vain; and on the 12th of August the pri- 
soner was executed. 

Benjamin Taylor, William Shiers, and James Gray, pleaded 
" Not guilty," at York, to an indictment charging them 
with assaulting James Nicholson, town clerk, of Leeds, on 
the highway, and taking from his person a watch and gold 
seal, on the l7th of November, 1819. 

Mr. Nicholson described the assault as follows : — I had 
been dining with Mr. Pullan, of Leeds, on Wednesday, the 
I7th of November, and set off on my return to Chapeltown, 
Avhere I reside, about eight o'clock in the evening: I was 
about half a mile beyond Sheepscar turnpike, when I met 
three men, one of them on foot, and the other two mounted 
on one horse. The man on foot said "Good night;" I re- 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 286 

18-20. 

turned his salutation and went on. I had proceeded about 
thirty yards when I heard a footstep : I turned, and saw a 
man close to me: it was dark, and I saw but indistinctly; 
he said something-, concluding with "I will blow your 
brains out." I struck at him immediately with a stick 
which Mr. Piillan had lent me. I struck the man down. 
Another then came up and said "let him go/' but I still 
held the man who had iirst attacked me. The second man 
then went to the road side and took up a large stone and 
threw it at me ; he subsequently threw another, a smaller 
one. I continued to hold the first man. The second man 
then produced a pistol and fired at me, but it flashed in the 
pan. He then rushed in, but I held the first man with one 
hand, and struck at the second with my stick. The man 
whom I held called out " Bill, why dost not thou come on." 
A third man then appeared (this Avas subsequently proved 
to be Shiers) and joined in the attack. I fought as long as 
I could, but they got me down and rifled my pockets. 
They took my watch and some patterns of scarlet cloth. 
I cried out "Murder," and one of them put his hand over 
my mouth. When they had got my watch, they gave me 
two or three blows on the head Avith a stick, aud then left 
me. I felt ver}'^ weak, but I got up, and seeing a cottage 
near, I was going towards it, Avhen a man came up and 
said some one was coming with a light. I had lost my 
hat and the stick Mr. Pullan lent me in the scuffle: I found 
my hat and proceeded towards the turnpike, where I found 
the prisoner Taylor in custody. I 'went to Leeds in a coach 
which passed soon after. I Avas very ill and confined to 
my bed for fi\^e weeks, and to my house for six weeks after- 
Avards. 

The prisoners said nothing in their defence, and a verdict 
of " Guilty " Avas returned. — Sentence of death was imme- 
diately pronounced upon the prisoners. Some mitigatory 
circumstances in these cases induced a commutation of 
sentence : Shiers and Taylor Avere transported for life, and 
Gray imprisoned for a considerable time. 

Thomas Robinson pleaded "Not guilty," at York, to an 
indictment, charging him Avith stealing, at Wetherby, the 
mail bags, containing letters from Knaresbro', Harrogate, 
and Ripley. 

The prisoner said nothing in his defence. — The learned 
judge summed up, and a verdict of " Guilty " was imme- 
diately returned by the jury : sentence was passed, and he 
was executed accordingly. 

Isaac Milner, D.D., F.R.S., dean of Carlisle, president of 



286 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1820. 

queen's college, Cambridge, and lucasian professor of 
mathematics in that university, by his talents and industry 
made his way from the humblest ranks of life, to the first 
honours of one of the first universities in the world. He 
was born in the neighbourhood of Leeds, and his early 
years were devoted to mechanical labour. When Joseph 
Milner, his brother, (see " Annals," page 189), became master 
of the grammar school, at Hull, he sent for Isaac, who 
assisted him in the tuition of the lower classes. He was 
then nineteen years of age, and had been accustomed to 
work at the loom with a Tacitus by his side. The prospects 
of this young man Avere soon turned towards the church ; 
and, alter assisting his brother for some time as an usher, 
he removed to queen's college, Cambridge, where he was 
entered a sizar. For his new station Mr. Isaac Milner, was 
admirably fitted; and before he vvent to the university, he 
Avas allowed to have attained a senior optime's knowledge 
in algebra and mathematics. Possessed of useful ambition, 
he now aimed at the first honours of his college, and had 
talents and perseverence sufficient to obtain them. Ac- 
cordingly, in the year 1774, he became senior wrangler, 
with the honourable distinction of incomparabilis. He also 
gained the first mathematical prize. In 1782 he served the 
office of proctor, and in 1792 was honoured with the vice- 
chancellorship. Intense study, however, had secretly laid 
the foundation of a nervous disorder, which undermined 
the sources of existence, and occasionally embittered the 
remainder of his life. . While at Cambridge, Mr. Isaac 
Milner became acquainted with Mr. Wilberforce, and cor- 
dially and conscientiously embraced the scriptural principles 
of that gentleman on religious subjects. After a short ac- 
quaintance, the two friends proceeded on a tour to the 
continent, accompanied by Mr. Pitt, but had not travelled 
far before the last of these gentlemen was recalled, in con- 
sequence of some political changes a\ hich afterwards ele- 
vated him to the premiership. The others accompanied 
him on his return, and an intimacy ensued, which continued 
for life. This occurred in 1788, in which year Mr. Milner 
was elected president of queen's college. He now com- 
menced some salutary reforms, and, recollecting, that when 
he was an undergraduate, it Avas the custom of the sizars 
to Avait behind the chairs of the fellows at dinner, he had 
spirit and good sense enough to abolish those servile distinc- 
tions, Avhich were coeval Avith the days of monkish ignorance 
and superstition. In 1792 he took out his doctor's degree, 
and Avas presented with the deanery of Carlisle. At Hull 



THE SUHUOUNDING DISTRICT. 287 

1820. 

he retained lodgings during the life of his brother. This 
became a favourite residence ; and here he had a complete 
workship, where he was accustomed to rehix his mind 
daily from the fatigues of stud}^ He found manual labour 
a great source of happiness, and spared no expense in ob- 
taining the most perfect and expensive machinery. As a 
proof of this, his lathe and appendages for turning cost him 
no less than one hundred and forty guineas. On the death 
of Dr. Waring, in 179S, Dr. Milner Mas nominated lucasian 
professor of mathematics, an office Avorth about £350 a year. 
On Saturday, March the 1st, 1S20, at the house of his 
esteemed friend, William Y\^ilberforce, I^sq., M.P,, and in 
the 70th year of his age, died this venerable scholar, and 
exemplary christian ; and the final close of such a life must 
not be announced without a farev/ell tribute, however 
trifling to his memory. He was in every respect an extra- 
ordinary man. In early youth he rose superior to difficulties, 
with which few could have success'ully contended ; and 
his academical career was eminently distinguished. By 
the splendour of his reputation Avhile in the vigour of 
life, and by uncommon zeal and activity in the cause of 
science, he gave a strong impulse to the study of mathe- 
matical and philosophical learning in the university. 

April 3rd. Died at his house, in Hanover-square, London, 
Edward, earl of Harewood, in his 81st year, having sur- 
vived his eldest son, Edward, six years. His lordship was 

succeeded by his second son, Henry. Thomas Gray, 

a native of Leeds, this year published a seven-and-six- 
penny octavo, which went through live editions in five 
years, entitled 'Observations on a general iron railway, 
or land steam conveyance, to supersede the necessit}'- of 
horses in all public vehicles ; shewing its vast superiority 
in every respect over the present pitiful methods of con- 
veyance by turnpike roads and canals." Tn 1S20 and 1821 
he presented a petition to lord Sidmouth, who was the 
minister, and in 1822 another to Sir Robert Peel. On the 
publication of a second edition of his work, he sent circu- 
lars to the merchants of Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, 
and London. He proposed that the plan should first be 
tried betAveen Manchester and Liver])Ool. In 1822, the 
Mr,:--!rn.bi1i<y of having a railwa}' between these tv/o places 
was considered. A committee M^as formed, who visited 
the different railways in the collieries, and reported to a 
mcefinp", which determined to apply for an act. The plans 
of railways which he suggested are published in his work 
in 1822, and were those that were first carried out. In 



288 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YOBK, AND 

1820. 

1846 a testimonial was originated by the mayor and other 
gentlemen of Exeter, in order to acknowledge the great 
services Mr. Gray had rendered to his age and country in 
the conception of the national system of railway commu- 
nication, and his claims on the liberality and gratitude of 
the nation were urged by several speakers. Whatever 
effect Gray's labours may have had in directing attention 
to the subject of railways andin suggesting views to others, 
he himself gained neither reward nor honour. His late 
years were passed in obscurity as a dealer in glass on 
commission at Exeter, in which city he died October, 
1848, aged 61 years. 

The manufacturing parts of the country having laboured 
many months under extreme distress, a disposition to 
tumult and insubordination began to prevail amongst the 
operative classes, and on the night of Friday, the 3lst of 
March, a simultaneous rising was appointed to take place 
in the populous villages around Huddersfield, where a large 
number of pikes were found. A plan of approach from 
various points, for the purpose of capturing the town, and 
giving a signal of successful rebellion, by stopping the 
stage coaches, was organized, and partly carried into 
effect. Towards the hour of midnight, considerable bodies 
of men marched from the different villages to their ap- 
pointed stations, Huddersfield forming the centre and 
point of attack. The eastern division bivouacked near 
the obelisk at Kirklees, (called the Dumb Steeple), and 
committed some excesses on two or three persons, who 
■VA ere travelling in that direction; from some cause not 
well ascertained, but probably from the detected treachery 
of their instigators, the insurgents not only here, but at 
all the other stations, dispersed suddenly, and returned to 
their homes without making their intended hostile attack. 
The itinerant emissaries, of which there were numbers 
passing about the country, represented this as a premature 
movement, to remedy which, the night of the Wednesday 
following was appointed for the breaking out of the grand 
rebellion, and Grange moor, a large plain centrally situated 
between Huddersfield and Barnsley, was the appointed 
place of rendezvous. A number of infatuated men, prin- 
cipally from the town and neighbourhood of Barnsley, 
many of them workmen out of employment, and none 
above the rank of labourers, repaired to the moor in the 
course of the night. After waiting till morning in anxious 
expectation of the approach of a triumphant army, which 
they had been led to believe was advancing from the north 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 289 

1820. 

on its route to London, they began to disperse, and their 
movemenfs were considerably quickened by the appear- 
ance of a body of the king's troops from Huddersfield. As 
soon as the first alarm had subsided, several of the in- 
surgents, both in the neighbourhood of Huddersfield and 
Barnsley, to the number of twenty-two, were apprehended 
and committed to York castle, where they were arraigned 
for higli treason, at the summer assizes, and charged with 
conspiring or intending to levy war against the king. On 
Monday, the Uth of September, an adjourned assize was 
held for the purpose of proceeding with the trials of these 
prisoners, but during the evening of the preceding day an 
offer had been made to them, by the authority of the law 
officers of the crown, to the effect that if they would con- 
sent to plead guilty of the charge preferred against them, 
their lives should be spared, and the sentence of death 
which must be passed upon them commuted to some more 
lenient punishment. Comstive, a disbanded soldier, and 
one of the heroes of "Waterloo, who appears to have been 
the leader of the Barnsley division, and whose fate, had 
the trials proceeded, seemed ineviiable, exerted himself 
with great vigour and success to obtain the acquiescence 
of his fellow-prisoners in this proposal, which was in the 
end unanimously acceded to. The prisoners, on being 
placed at the bar, all pleaded guilty, and the final decision 
of the crown was, that they should all, without exception, 
be transported beyond the seas for the term of seven years. 
On October 11 th, the extensive corn mill of Messrs. J. 
and L. Simpson, in Norfh-street, York, was consumed by 
fire, with a great quantify of corn. The damage was es- 
timated at ^7,000, and the scene of destruction was 
rendered still more melancholy on the following da}'- by the 
falling of a ruined wall, which killed a boy and a girl, and 
severely bruised and wounded about twenty other ])crsons, 
some of whom were subsequently obliged to undergo 

amputation. In November, Leeds and many other 

towns were illuminated by the numerous friends of queen 
Caroline, on the abandonment of the bill of pains and 
penalties, instituted against her majesty by the king. 
Amongst numerous presents manufactured for the queen, 
was a penknife containing 2,016 blades, made by a cutler 
at Shefiield, where a subscription was raised for a splendid 
piece of silver plate for her majesty, but she did not live 
to enjoy these specimens of the varied manufactures of 

her Sheffield friends. Nov. 29th. Her late majesty, 

queen Caroline, went to St. Paul's cathedral, to return 

25 



290 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 
1820.-1821. 

thanks to Almighty God for the defeat of the proceedings 
against her, on the bill of pains and penalties being re- 
linquished, in consequence of there being only a majority 
of nine for the bill being read a third time. 

The Leeds Cavalry Barracts, situated at the north en- 
trance of the town, fronting the Roundhay-road, with the 
principal entrance in Chapeltown-road, were erected in 
1820, by Messrs. Craven and Co., of York, at a cost of 
£28,000, and occupies an area of eleven acres of ground, 
in an open and healthy localit3^ The barracks have been 
lately occupied by artillery as well as cavalry, and are 
generally head quarters. The laigest proportion of a 
regiment of cavalry are usually stationed here. 

1821. On January 3rd, Mr. David Howard's cotton mill, 

near Leeds bridge, was destroyed by lire. On April 

7th, died, at Bramham park, in his 65th year, James Fox, 
Esq , nephew of lord Bingley. He was universally res- 
pected. On the 30th of April was laid the first stone 

of St. George's church, in Barnsley, which has in its win- 
dows some honourable testimonials of the abilities of 
Heaps and Fenton, of Leeds, in the fine and delicate art 
of glass staining, part of whose other productions may be 
seen in the windows of Attercliff church, near Sheffield; 
St. John's, at Ripon ; in the new chapel, at Ilkley ; and at 

Chapeltown, near Leeds. The first annual meeting of 

the Yorkshire horticultural society was held at the Star 

inn, Kirkstall bridge, on April 30(h. On July 4th, a 

great vestry meeting was held, by adjournment, in the 
White Cloth Hall yard, at Leeds, for the purpose of elect- 
ing an organist of Leeds parish church, at a salary of £50, 
which office being in the patronage of the rate-payers, 
and there being three candidates, a poll was demanded. 

For three days Leeds exhibited some of the party spirit 
and confusion incidental to a contested county election. 
Numerous processions of voters from the out-toAvns in 
the parish came to poll with music and banners. Six- 
teen booths were erected for the convenience of the 
clerks of the poll, which at the close stood as fol- 
lows: — for Mr. Greenwood, 2,608; for Mr. Hopkinson, 

1,242 ; for Mr. Theaker, 259. On May 7th, died, Henry 

Clemetshaw, who was fifty years organist of Wakefield 
parish church. Though he lost his sight at the age of four 
years, he rose to great eminence in his profession. 

Feb. Sth. Sir Francis Burdett was sentenced to three 
months' imprisonment, and fined i',2000, for a letter 
addressed to his constituents on the proceedings at; 
Manchester. 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 291 

1821. 

March 31st, a ploughman turned up at Lingwell gate, 
near Wakefield, a quantity of clay moulds, in which coin 
had been cast by the Romans, and four crucibles, in which 
the metal had been melted. Similar antiquities were 
found a century before at the place, and silver Roman 

coins have often been found there. The inhabitants of 

Leeds, &c., petitioned against the wool tax. 

Napoleon Bonaparte died on the island of St. Helena, 
on the 5th of May, after a painful and lingering decline. 

July 19th. The coronation of George IV. took place 
under circumstances of great splendour. On this occasion 
^ueen Caroline made an attempt to enter Westminster 
abbey, for the purpose of witnessing the ceremony, but was 
repelled by the military officers who guarded the door ; an 
insult which gave such a shock to her health, as to cause 

her death on the Sth of August. July 19th was laid 

the first stone of the new church at Pudsey,by the Rev. D. 
Jenkins. It has 2,000 sittings, and was built under the 
million act, from plans by the late Mr. Taylor, architect, 
of Leeds. 

During an alarming storm of thunder and lightning, on 
July 20th, the electric fluid struck Manningham hall, near 
Bradford, the seat of E. C. Lister, Esq., and having thrown 
down a stack of chimneys, passed through the dining- 
room, where about thirty persons were sitting, bur fortu- 
nately they were but slightly injured, excepting a servant 
girl, whose arm was severely scorched ; most of Ihe bell 
wires were melted, and the walls of the apartment bore 
visible marks of the awful visitation. On Sunday, Sep- 
tember 16th, a numerous body of Primitive Methodists 
having crowded into the upper room of a wool warehouse, 
at Keighley, the floor suddenly gave way, and precipitated 
them into the apartment below, where from fifty to 5*ixty 
persons were severely crushed and wounded ; one of them 
died on the following day, and eleven had broken bones. 

Holmfirth, near Huddersfield, being situated at the 
junction of the Holm and Ribbleden rivulets, in a deep 
valley under those stupendous mountains termed the 
English appenines, is liable to frequent inundations. On 
September 21st, after a continuance of heavy rain, the 
great reservoir above Black-Sike mill burst its embank- 
ment, and rolled down the valley a prodigious volume of 
water, which forced down the buildings in its course, 
leaving the inhabitants and the workmen in the mill ad- 
joining, and at Burn Lee dyehouse below, only just time 
to hurry to the heights, and escape its destructive fury. 



292 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1821. 

The flood commenced at seven o'clock in the evening, and 
the water had subsided at ten, but the inhabitants did not 
dare to retire to rest. The next day presented a truly- 
affecting scene of desolation; mud, stones, timber, broken 
furniture, work tools, and prostrate trees Avere spread 
over the fields for a considerable extent, and the herbage, 
fences, and buildings in many places were destroyed. 
Happily no lives were lost, although the loss of property 

was very great. Huddersfield was lirst lighted with 

gas on October 1st, by the contractors, Martin Cawood 
and Son, of Leeds. 

At York, on July 2nd, the minimum of the thermometer 
was 3f) degrees, and on November 1st, 49 drgrees, being 
13 degrees colder at the former than the latter period. 

The Leeds Guardian Society and General Penitentiary, 
48, St. .James's-street, was established in 1821. Its ob- 
ject is to afford an asylum for females, who have departed 
from the path of virtue : its operations have been highly 
beneficial, but the resources are by no means commen- 
surate with its beneficent and christian design. 

The Leeds General Eye and Ear Infirmary, 167, Park- 
lane, was first established in Kirkgate, 1821. Its objects 
were to afford to the poor gratuitous relief in the diseased 
organs to which it refers. It is supported by annual sub- 
scriptions and voluntary donations. The patients are 
admitted every Tuesday and Saturday, from twelve to 

one o'olock. It has been conjectured, and apparently 

on good grounds, that the Romans had some small estab- 
lishment at Dewsbury. A Roman spear was found some 
years ago upon the estate of Mr. Halliley ; and in 1821, 
when an excavation was made for the purpose of laying 
some foundations for offices, a small building of stone was 
discovered, covered with a strong arch, about three feet 
below the surface of the ground ; and at a short distance 
from the building an ancient well walled round with 
masonry, about eight yards deep, filled up with rubble 
stones, and supposed to have remained for many centuries 
in a state of obscurity and uselessness. 

Ann Barber, a native of Yorkshire, was born about 1784. 
She was educated amid the persons called Ranters. She 
was in humble, but not the lowest circumstances; and in 
her youth esteemed handsome. She married in 1805 to 
one James Barber, a laborious and respectable man who 
resided near "Wakefield. They lived very happily for some 
years, when a person named William Thompson became 
acquainted with them. This man ultimately became aj 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 293 

1821. 

lodger in their house, and there an illicit intercourse com- 
menced between Mrs. Barber and him. She at length left 
her husband and resided with her paramour at Potovens, 
near Wakefield : they resided together a week as man and 
wife, and then she returned to her husband's house. She 
returned on the 4th of January, 1821 ; and on the IGth of 
March she administered poison to her husband, thereby 
■causing his death. For this crime she w^as tried at the 
York summer assizes of 1S21, found guilty, sentenced to 
■death, and afterwards executed. 

The electors of Grampound having been convicted of 
bribery and corruption, a bill was brought into parlia- 
ment by lord John Russell, during the session of 1821, 
to disfranchise that borough; and in order to render 
the number of burgesses to serve in parliament complete, 
it was proposed that the borough of Leeds, having, as 
the bill sets forth, " of late years become a place of 
great trade, population, and wealth, should return two 
burgesses to serve in parliament, in lieu ot the said 
borough of Grampound." As the bill originally stood, 
€very man in the borough, occupying propert}'- to the 
amount of £10 a year, would have had a vote; but at 
the instance of J. A. Stuart Wortley, Esq., then one of 
the Yorkshire members, the qualification of a voter was 
raised to £20 per annum, and the bill passed the House 
of Commons : it was, however, re-modelled in the House 
of Lords, and, instead of two members being returned 
for Leeds, it was finally enacted that " the county of 
York should return four members instead of two," 
which indeed gave more general satisfaction than the 
first proposal. The curious cave at Kirkdale, twenty- 
live miles north of York, was discovered this year, and 
found to contain the antediluvian bones of the hyaena, 
tiger, bear, wolf, fox, -.veascl; the elephant, rhinoceros, 
hippopotamus, and horse; flie ox, and three species of 
deer; the hare, rabbit, water rat, and mouse; togelher 
with bones of the foUov/ing birds, viz. : the raven, 
pigeon, lark, small duck, and one about the size of a 
thrush. 

Curious epitaph in the parish church of Brighton: — 

"In memory of Phocbe Hessel, who was born at Stepney, in the 

YEAR 1713. She served for many years as a private soldier IK THE 
OTH REGI.ME^T OF FOOT I^r r)IFFERE^•T PARTS OF EuROPE, AND IN THE YEAR 
)7-«5, FOUGHT UNDER THE COMMAND OF THE DUKE OF CUMBERLAND AT THE 
BATTLE OF FONTENOY", WHERE SHE RECEIVED A BAYONET WOUND IN HER 
ARM. Her LONG LIFE, WHICH COMME> CKI) IN THE REIGN OF QUEEN AnNE, 
EXTENDED TO THE REIGN OF GeORQE IV., BY WHOSE MUNIFICENCE SHE 
RECEIVED COMFORT AND SUPPORT IN HER LATTER YEARS. ShE DIED AT 

Brighton, (where she had long resided), DECEMBta I'iTH, l^2\, aged 

!06 TEARS." 



294 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1821.-1822. 

The census of this year showed that the number of 
inhabited houses in the township of Leeds was 10,338; 
and in the borough 17,418. The number of houses 
building in the township were 69; in the borough 115. 
The number of uninhabited houses in the township was 
857; in the borough 1170, The number of males in the 
township was 23,178; in the borough 40,548. The num- 
ber of females in the township was 25,425; in the 
borough 43,198. The total population of the township 
was 48,603; in the borough 83,746. 

1822 On Sunday, February 3rd, the river Aire over- 
flowed its banks, and at Leeds inundated Meadow-lane, 
Water-lane, and Hunslet-lane. The floods at Bradford, 
and all places communicating with the Craven hills, 
were sudden and alarming, and did considerable damage, 
especially in Bradford ; where Mr. Benjamin Baines, 
foreman at Messrs. Maude and Co.'s, chemists, un- 
fortunately lost his life, after saving most of the perish- 
able proj)erty in the lower story of his own house and 
workshop, and assisting Mr. Bradford, at the Swan inn, 
to remove his; having employed himself actively till four 
o'clock in the morning, in rendering assistance to others, 
he returned home, and whilst examining a water mark 
which he had set up on the wall of the laboratory, the 
heap of rubbish on which he stood gave way, and pre- 
cipitated him into a rapid current belov^, in which he 
perished unseen, and his body was not found till Wed- 
nesday, when it was discovered in the stream at Bolton, 
two miles below : he left a widow and two children. 
The storm was severely felt at Wakefield, and at York 
the Ouse rose five feet in the course of a few hours. 

At eight in the evening of February 6(h, a fire broke 
out in Mr. Marshall's stuff manufactory, in Bowling- 
lane, near Bradford, and the two upper stories were 
speedily destroyed; but the stock and machinery in the 
lower parts of the building were saved from the flames. 
The property not being insured, a loss of ,£4,000 was 
sustained. 

On the night of the 7th of February in this year, 
a small publican named Thomas Hellewell, and his 
family, residing at BruntclifFe, were aroused by lire 
in tiie stack garth — one or two of the stacks were 
consumed, and, had it not been for the powerful and ac- 
tive assistance of the neighbours, there in no doubt that 
the flames would soon have reached the rnistal, where 
thirteen head of cattle were housed. The detection 



THE SURROETNDING DISTRICT. 295 

1822. 

of the incendiary vra.9 accomplished by means the most 
extraordinary. A slight fall of snow had just covered 
the ground, and footsteps were clearly discernible about 
the stack yard, formed by very remarkable shoes, the 
sole of one of them having been curiousl}'' mended, and 
the nails being very prominent. Hellewell pursued this 
track with singular activity and resolution, and suc- 
ceeded, after a devious chace, in capturing the incen- 
diary at Beeston, with the very shoes on his feet, before 
eight o'clock the same morning. John Vickers proved 
to be his name, and revenge for a very trivial provoca- 
tion was his motive. He was convicted at York, and 
onU'- escaped from execution by being transported for 
life. 

Mr. James Warbrick, a worsted stuff manufacturer, of 
Bradford, having procured one of the then obnoxious power 
looms, in 1S22, sent it as privately as possible to a mill 
at Shiplc}^ where its operations "svere to commence. 
The people, however, soon ascertained the fact, public 
notice was given of its arrival in all the neighbouring 
villages, a great number of weavers assembled and 
threatened to level the mill with the ground if the 
loom was not instantly taken away, it had no sooner 
been placed in a cart, protected by a body of constables, 
than the exasperated weavers rushed upon it with ir- 
resistible fury, the constables were compelled to seek 
safety in flight, the loom was destroyed, and its roller 
and warp was dragged in triumph through Baildon. 
The unfortunate o])eratives were, however, unable to 
obstruct the general adoption of the detested machines, 
they v/ere soon almost universally introduced into the 
manufactories, and there are now a vast number of 
poAver looms in active operation in Bradford and its 
neighbourhood. 

On the 25th of IMarch, this year, as two labourers were 
trenching the land for liquorice at paper-mill field, near 
St. Thomas's hill, Pontefract, one of them struck his 
spade against a stone coffin, which weighed about a 
ton and a half, and, on examination, was found to con- 
tain the skeleton of a man, with the head between the 
legs, in good preservation ; these were supposed to be 
the decapitated remains of Thomas, earl of Lancaster, 
who suffered on the 22nd of March, 1322, exactly 500 
years previously. The coffin and its contents were re- 
moved into the grounds of R. P. Milnes, Esq., Frystone 
hall, Vv'licre they now remain, inclosed wi<:hin a palisade. 



296 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1822. 

Near a windmill, which now occupies the site of St. 
Thomas's chapel, great quantities of beautiful carved 
stones were dug up in 1841, and were removed by the 
earl of Mexborough, as owner of the soil ; from the 
sculpture of the stones, the building to which they be- 
longed seems to have been of Gofchic architecture. 

In April, a Mr. Wright, at Sheffield, walked 1000 miles 

in 1000 successive hours. In July, five men were 

killed by tire damp, in a coal pit, near Sheffield. 

August 12th, the marquis of Londonderry, (late lord 
Castlereagh,) secretary lor foreign affairs, committed 

suicide at his house, North Cray. May 13th, died at 

Milton, near Peterborough, aged 74, the Rt. Honourable 
Charlotte CountessFitzwilliam, daughter of 'SVm. Ponsonby, 
earl of Beesborough, by Caroline, eldest daughter of* Wm. 
duke of Devonshire. She was married, July 11th, 1770, 
to Charles Wm. Wentworth, earl Fitzwilliam, by 
whom she left one son, Charles Wm. Wentworth Fitz- 
william, viscount Milton, who first sat in parliament 
as one of the members for the county of York, in 

the year 1807. May 20th, after a severe thunder 

storm, a cloud burst on the hills above Holmfirth and 
Meltham, and from the junction of the channels of 
those valleys, sent down the vale below a breast of 
water from seven to nine feet high ; but happily no 

lives were lost. In the spring of this year, in 

Thompson's garden, near Well Close place, Leeds, was 
found a small gold coin, of the date of the second year of 
James I. It was called a half-crown, and was in value 
one eighth part of a coin, called an Unitie, from the 
union of England and Scotland. Legend on the head side, 
" J.D.G, Bosa Sine Sphia, viz., James by the grace of God * 
" a rose without a thorn." On the obverse side, *' Tueatur 
TJnita Deus,'* " God guards the Union." 

June 9th, the extensive corn and scribbling mills, at 
Calverley, were burnt down ; damage £5,000, 

July 13th, was completed, under the superintendence of 
J. L. M'Adam, Esq., the Leeds, Pontefract, and Barnsdale 
Turnpike Road, which not only passes through a pleasanter 
country, but is leveller, and four miles nearer from Leeds 
to Doncaster than the old north road by way of Ferrybridge. 

July 5th, a " Peace Society," was formed in Hudders- 
field, for the purpose of co-operating with a similar insti- 
tution in London, "for the promotion of permanent and 
universal peace." 

July 31st. The inhabitants of Leeds met in the parish 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 297. 

1822. 

church, and, by a great majority, determined to remove 
the Middle-row, an ancient pile of buildings, -which in- 
cluded the Moot-hall, and extended along the centre of 
Briggate, from Kirkgate end, a little above Wood-street, 
contracting the road so much on each side, that it was 
dangerous for two carriages to pass each other. The 
expense of effecting this great improvement was esti- 
mated at £12,000, it cost, however, £15,097 4s. 2d., 
"which was agreed to be levied upon the inhabitants, 
by live annual rates of five pence in the pound, and 
one rate of twopence in the pound. 

The demolition was completed May 30th, 1825. The 
first rate Avas levied in 1825; and the debt cancelled in 
1833. The buildings were not removed till 1825. 

On August 31st, all the carts attending Leeds market 
with vegetables, fruit, ike, and M^hich formerly stood in 
Briggate, took their station in the Vicar's Croft. 

William Herschell, a celebrated astronomer, born in 
Hanover, in 173S, died in 1822 ; the son of an able musician ; 
for some time followed his father's profession; in April, 
1759, settled in England, where, with difficulty, he gained 
a livelihood by teaching. In 17^5 he was appointed organist 
at Halifax, and in 17^6 at Balh. Then his condition began 
to improve. From the study of music he was led to the 
study of mathematics, and thence he proceeded to as- 
tronomy, Avhich he at first cultivated only as a recreation; 
but soon having gained brilliant success therein, he gave 
up his profession and devoted himself exclusively to his 
new pursuit. Too poor to buy telescopes, he began to 
make them himself, (1774), and soon formed instruments 
superior in execution and power to any before k)iown; 
among others a telescope forty feet long, w^hich took four 
years of labour. (1785-89). With the aid of this instru- 
ment he made the most unexpected discoveries ; thus, he 
discovered a new planet, Uranus, (March 13(h 1781), then 
his satellites, (1787), and two new satellites of Saturn, 
(1789); he ascertained that the solar system is not lixed, 
and that it is in motion round the constellation Hercules. 
He also gave special attention to the Nebulae, perceived 
in the white masses of which they consist a prodigious num- 
ber of small stars, and discovered among them central stars 
round which the rest regularly revolve. King George III. 
showed particular favour to Herschell, granted him a 
pension for life of 300 guineas ; and, in order to have the 
astronomer near him, gave him a residence at Slough, near 
Windsor castle, and there Herschell made the greater part 



298 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1822. 1823. 

of his observations. Herschell had for an auxiliary in the 
construction of his telescopes one of his brothers, and in 
the recording of his observations his sister Caroline, who 
made some discoveries herself. He left a son, John Hers- 
chell, who, inheriting his scientific tastes and his secrets 
for the formation of telescope glasses, has gained high 
disfinction among men of science. 

The town of Bradford up to 1822 had been lighted by 
oil lamps. In that year an act received the royal assent 
for lighting Bradford and the neighbourhood with gas. 
The subscribers originally consisted of forty- one inhabit- 
ants of the place, who were incorporated under the title 
of the "Bradford gas-light company," and empowered to 
raise a capital of £15,000, in £25 shares — no subscriber to 
hold more than forty shares. By this act it is rendered 
imperative upon the gas company to supply the public 
lamps of the town with gas, of such a quality as should 
at all times afford a cheaper and better light than could 
be obtained from oil; and that " every contract or agree- 
ment which shall be entered into for lighting with gas 
such public lamps by the said company, shall contain a 
clause providing that it shall be obligatory on the said 
company that such public lamps shall, at all times, be 
better and cheaper lighted by the said company than could 
be done by oil." This obligation was imposed on the 
company as an equivalent for being allowed to break up 
the pavement and soil of the streets, &c., to lay the pipes. 

Aug. 22nd. A numerous and respectable Reform meeting 
was held at York, in the long room of Etridge's hotel, 
under the presidency of Walter Fawkes, Esq. 

Oct. 29th. The term of Henry Hunt, Esq 's, imprison- 
ment in Ilchester gaol expired, and the event was hailed 
in most of <he Yorkshire towns with enthusiastic joy by 
the numerous bodies of reformers. 

December 7th, that fine old mansion, Burley hall, near 
Olley, the seat of the Rev. T. F. Wilson, was, with all its 
costly furniture, destroyed by fire. The loss was about 
£4,000. 

About the close of this year the Yorkshire Philosophical 
Society was founded; and in the 5^ear 1827 obtained a 
grant from the crown of nearly three acres of ground 
within the ancient precincts of the monastery at York, 
including the remains of the abbey church, with the ex- 
ception of the choir, as a site for buildings appropriated 
to the purposes of science. 

1823. Jan. 22nd. The freeholders of Yorkshire held 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 299 

1823. 

another Reform meeting at York castle, for the purpose of 
petitioning for a more equitable representation of the 

people iu parliament. Wakefield was first lighted 

with gas January 20th. 

The first stone' of St. Mary's church, Quarry-hill, Leeds, 
was laid on the 29th of January, 1823, by the vicar of 
Leeds, the Rev Richard Fawcett. This edifice was built 
under parliamentar)'' sanction. It was opened in 1827. 
There is nothing very striking m its style of architecture, 
being a mere specimen of what is termed "Carpenter's 
Gothic." Its external appearance is someAvhat incongruous, 
and although the tower rises to a considerable height, it is 
rather heavy in its general effect. Its erection was under 
the direction of Mr. Taylor, architect; and cost ^12,518 
]0s. 8d. It will accommodate above 1,200 persons; up- 
wards of 800 of the seats are free. The burial ground is 
very extensive. A little to the east of the church is a large 
and convenient school-room, which was built after the 
consecration of the church. The present incumbent is the 

Rev. John Bickerdike, MA. The first stone of Christ 

church, Meadow-lane, was laid on the same day, by lord 
Pollington, assisted by the masonic body, of vvhich he was 
the P.G.M. for the West-Riding, after which the masons 
celebrated the event at their hall, where his lordship pre- 
sided. These were the first of the parliamentary churches 
founded in Leeds. It is a handsome Gothic edifice. R. D. 
Chantrell, Esq., was the architect. It consists of a nave,, 
chancel, and aisles, with a massive tower rising to the 
height of 127 feet, and is one of the decorated style of the 
14th century. The main entrance in Meadow-lane, consists 
of a pointed arch flanked by small pannelled buttresses^ 
and enriched by a pedimental canopy crocketed, and ter- 
minating in a beautiful cruciform finale; in the spandrils- 
are shields, that to the right charged with the borougli 
arms, and the other with those of the archbishop of York, 
impaling that of his see ; above is some ver}'^ curious v/ork 
in quatrefoil pannelling, over which is a pointed vsindow 
of three lights, with cinquefoil heads, a transom and tracery 
in the sweep of the arch, besides which are many other 
adornments. The interior has a very commanding aspect. 
The aisles, which are divided from the body of the church 
by six depressed pointed arches, resting on lofty columns,. 
formed by an union of four long and four small cylinders. 
At the went end is a spacious gallery, in which is an organ, 
consisting- of twelve stops, and also five iu the swell. 
Under the gallery is an octagonal font of very chaste exe- 



300 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1823. 

cution, adorned with quatrefoils. Over the altar is a 
painting of Christ instituting the sacrament, by Brockendon, 
which was exhibited in one of the northern society's exhi- 
bitions in Leeds, and cost £100. The church will accom- 
modate 1,249 persons, and 800 of the sittings are free. The 
incumbency is at present vacant. 

The tovv'n of Halifax Avas first lighted with gas on the 

15th of February. George Eidsdale Esq., laid the first 

stone of the ne A church, at Alverthorpe, near Wakefield, 

on March 12th. On April 23rd, Benjamin Sadler, Esq., 

laid the first stone of St. Mark's church, Woodhouse, near 
Leeds : a very massive stone edifice, built in the style of 
the iDth century, and is the third church in the town 
erected under parliamentary sanction, at a cost of £10,000. 
In lS.r2, the large five-lighted east window was fitted in 
with stained glass, which is remarkably rich, and illustrates 
the leading events in the life of our Saviour. The window 
was presented by the late Mrs Blesard, of Blenheim-terrace, 
in memory of her husband and their four children. The 
church will accommodate 1,")00 persons. The vicarage is 
vaued at £140 per annum. The Rev. Samuel Kettlewell 
is tlie vicar. 

The Bazanr, New Shambles, and Fish Market. — This 
range of buildings was originated this year, by a company 
of shareholders, and in 1826 was opened to the public. The 
entrance to the bazaar is arched, flanked with two attached 
Tuscan pillars, over which is a niche, surmounted with a 
couchant lion of large size, which was modelled under the 
superintend ance of the late Mr. J. Rhodes, artist. The 
building is 219 feet long, and lighted from the top. On 
each side are two streets, Cheapside and Fleet-street, of 
the same length, opening into I3riggate, and called " The 
Sliarables," where a good show of butchers' meat is ex- 
hibiled. At ihe east end of the bazaar (now used as a 
carpet warehouse) is the fish maiket, the stone pillars 
of which were removed from the Old Cross in the Head 
Row. 

June ]6th. A meeting was held at the Leeds court house, 
of a number ol' persons favourable to the establishment of 
a public market place in the south division of the town, at 
which it was determined to form a company for that pur- 
pose, under the denomination of the Leeds South Market 
Company, \'^ hen very commodious buildings were erected 

at the expense of £22,000. The first stone of Christ 

church, near Huddersfield, which was endowed by John 
Whitacre, Esq., of Woodhouse, and built near his mansion 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 301 

1823 

for the hamlets of Deightoii, Bradley, and FartowD, was 
laid July 24th, by Thomas Walker, Esq., of Berry hill, near 
Manstield, but formerly of Masbro' iron works, near Eother- 
ham. By an especial act of parliament, the patronage of 
this church is vested for ever in the founder and his heirs. 

Aug. 7th. The first stones of two new churches in Dews- 
bury parish were laid, viz. : St. John's, on Dewsbnry moor, 
by John Haigh, Esq., of Crow nest, and St. Paul's, at 
Hanging Heaton, by the Rev. John Buckworth, A.M., the 

vicar. Aug. 2Sth. The Fleece coach, on its road to 

Sheffield, was overturned at the foot of Shelly bank, six 
miles from Huddersfield, owing to the coachman driving at 
full speed down the hill, without locking the wheel. Amongst 
the passengers Avere nine Methodist preachers on their way 
to the conference at Sheffield ; two of them, the Rev. Mr. 
Sargent and the Rev. Edward Baker Lloyd, were killed on 
the spot, and six of the others received either fractures, 
dislocations, or dangerous contusions, from which they ulti- 
mately recovered. A verdict of manslaughter was re- 
turned against the driver. Aug. 23rd. The first stone 

of St. Matthew's church, at "Wilsden, near Bradford, was 
laid by the Rev. Henry Heap, vicar of Bradford. 

Aug. 28th. A meeting of the principal inhabitants of 
Leeds, and within a mile of the bars of the town, was held 
in the parish church, where they unanimously agreed, that 
the vicarage-house, with the out-buildings, yards, gardens, 
and croft, comprising altogether about 9,758 square yards 
of land, should he purchased for the purpose of widening 
the contiguous streets and lanes, and improving the market 
then held there, by providing ample and gratuitous accom- 
modation for the dealers in cattle, pigs, hay, vegetables, 
fruit, and other produce. The farmers and graziers subse- 
quently preferred paying a small toll. — In the same year, 
the town and parish of Leeds was blest with another great 
public benefit, viz. : the commutation of all the mixed and 
personal tithes, payable to the vicar and clerk of Leeds, 
for an annual income of £500, arising from £14,000, one 
half of which was the munificent gift of Richard Foun- 
tayne Wilson, Esq., M.P., and the other half was raised by 
subscription. Belbre this commutation, the vicar of Leeds 
was entitled to the tithes or agistment of herbage of 
turnips, sown and eaten upon the ground by barren and 
unprofitable cattle, which, if sold, the tithes were to be 
paid by the occupier of the ground, after the rate of one- 
tenth part of the money the turnips were sold for: to the 
agistment of barren and unprofitable cattle, and also the 

26 



302 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1823. 

tithe of potatoes grown and gathered, and turnips pulled 
irom the ground. He was entitled to a customary pay- 
ment of threepence yearly from each householder, residing 
within the bars of the town, in respect of his dwelling- 
house, and one penny yearly for an easter offering, from 
every householder in the parish; of tAvopence yearly in lieu 
of tithes of ancient garden ; of twopence yearly in lieu of 
tithes of ancient orchard ; of one penny in respect of each 
" plow," kept upon every tenement in the parish; of tv»o- 
pence in lieu of tithes for a calf dropt, and of the milk of 
each cow ; of one halfpenny in lieu of eggs of each duck ; 
of twopence yearly in lieu of tithe of hens' eggs laid upon 
each tenement; and likewise to an offering or customary 
payment yearly for and in respect of every person above 
the age of sixteen years, resident in the family of each 
householder in the parish, such sum to be paid by the house- 
holder. And the said vicar was entitled to receive the 
tithe of rapeseed, common and other modern gardens; and 
in case any parishioner kept twelve cows, to a yearly cus- 
tomary payment of six shillings in lieu of tithe milk; for 
six cows, two shillings; and in case any parisliioner had 
six calves dropt in his tenement in one year, six shillings; 
live calves, one shilling and fourpence ; four calves, ten- 
pence; as customary payment in lieu of tithes of such 
calves ; likewise the said vicar v/as entitled to a customary 
payment of twopence yearl}-- from each householder residing 
within the bars of the said town of Leeds; also for the 
tithe agistment of one dry or unprofitable cow, one penny; 
■ and also one penny in lieu of tithes of bees, except when 
the parishioner had six suarms of bees in one year, in 
which case one swarm was due; of one penny in lieu of 
tithes of eggs laid by each turkey; of sixpence in lieu of 
each foal dropt within the parish; and generally the said 
vicar was entitled to all other tithes, great and small 
offerings, oblations and obventions, and other ecclesiastical 
dues and duties within the said parish, (save and except 
the tithes of corn, grain, and hay, and the tithes of two 
mills in the said parish, commonly called the king's mills; 
which mills were formerly belonging to the earl of Lincoln, 
afterwards to the crown, then to J. P. Neville, Esq., and 
are now in the possession of Edward Hudson, Esq. 

On September 4th, Mr. W. W. Sadler ascended in his 
balloon at Leeds, from the area of the Coloured Cloth 
Hall, and having been in the air about 50 minutes, and 
travelled in a direct line S6 miles, he descended at Suulli 

ClitT, 11 miles "west of Beverley. Next day Mv. Green 

ascended at Leeds, from the area of the White Cloth Hall, 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 303 

1823. 

in his large and splendid balloon, which was 107 feet in 
circumference, composed of 700 yards of silk, and capable 
of containing- 136,210 gallons of gas. After a fine lofty- 
voyage, he descended at Haxey, nine miles north of Gains- 
bro', and ibund the lower current of air blowing a hurri- 
cane, so that the moment his grappling iron caught firm 
hold of a tree, the cable broke, and he Avas thrown out of 
the car, without receiving any serious injury ; whilst the 
balloon, lightened of its burthen, reascended to a vast al- 
titude, and speedily disappeared in the direction of the 
German ocean, across which it was borne to the coast of 
Holland, where it Avas found by a Dutchman, who required 
no less a sum than £18 for its restoration, though it was 
much torn, and the barometer lost. 

On September 23rd and three following days, was held 
the first Yorkshire Musical Festival, in the spacious nave, 
and side aisles of York minster, for the benefit of the York 
county hospital, and the three general infirmaries of Leeds, 
Hull, and Sheffield. At an early hour of the first day of 
the festival, all the principal roads leading to York were 
thronged with carriages of every description, so that by 
ten o'clock the streets were crowded with vehicles and 
visitors hastening to the cathedral, where every seat was 
occupied long before the grand performance commenced, 
and many who wished for admission, could not even be ac- 
commodated with standing places. The floor of the ex- 
tensive nave and its aisles was boarded over, and the 
passages to the seats covered v/ith matting. An immense 
gallery was also constructed at the west end, projecting 
83 feet, and the seats covered with crimson cloth. The 
orchestra was erected beneath the great tower, and the 
whole was fitted up with great splendour and magnificence, 
in a style suited to the superb gothic character of the edi- 
fice. The performances consisted of selections of sacred 
music, from Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Graun, 
Croft, Pergolesi, Marcello, Leo, and Jomelli. The number 
of the vocal band Ayas285, including madame Catalani, and 
other eminent vocalists, and the instrumentalists numbered 
180. Thomas Greatorex, Esq., Avas the conductor. The 
number of persons present on the first day, was, 3,850; on 
the second, 4,685; on the third, 4,840 ; and on the fourth, 
4,145. The amount of the receipts, including the evening 
performances in the assembly rooms, was £16,174 16s. 8d., 
out of which sum, after paying all expenses, £7,200 remained 
for the benefit of the four charities, each of which received 
£1,800. On the third day, madame Catalani sung Luther's 



304 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1823. 

celebrated hymn, accompanied on the trumpet by Mr. Harper, 
and this venerable and simple melody produced a greater 
impression than any other during the whole of this extended 
festival, being admirably suited to the powerful voice and 
majestic style of that celebrated vocalist, whilst the sound of 
the trumpet, proceeding from nearly the top of the orchestra, 
appeared as if it descended from the open space of the 
great tower above ; and the thrill of awe, not unmingled 
even with terror, which it produced, was such as no pen 
can describe ; and the harmony, when reinforced by all the 
voices in chorus, was inexpressibly powerful and affecting. 
Since this, there have been two other musical festivals in 
the cathedral, for the benefit of the same charities, under 
the patronage of the late king, George IV., and presidency 
of the archbishop. 

The second grand musical festival for the benefit of 
the same charities was held September 13th, 1825, and, 
three following days, when the entire band, vocal and 
instrumental, consisted of 615 performers, and the loud 
pealing thunder of the choruses, produced by their united 
exertions, was grand and almost overpowering. Addi- 
tional galleries were erected in the side aisles, the 
orchestra was of ample extent, and, like the other tem- 
porar}'" erections, was handsomely decorated, and lined 
with crimson. An ingenious apparatus was contrived by 
Mr. Ward, an eminent organ builder, of York, by which 
the organ was played from the orchestra, at a distance of 
125 feet from the instrument. The total number of persons 
present at the four performances, was 20,873, and the total 
receipts £20,876 10s., including the evening concerts, &c. 

The third musical festival was held September 23rd, 1828, 
and the three following days; the aggregate number of the 
band was 618, and the number of persons present at the 
four performances, was 14,425, and the total receipts, 
£16,769 lis. 6d. Mr. Cramer was the conductor. 

The Leeds Free Grammer School was repaired and 
greatly enlarged this year, at a cost of £1,087- 

As the servant man and boy of Mr. Evers, of Fleet mills, 
near Leeds, were turning up some ground on the low side 
of Wakefield Outwood, in order to the erection of posts 
and rails, the boy struck his mattock against what he con- 
ceived to be a large stone, but which, he being unable to 
remove, informed the man, who on examining the supposed 
stone found it to be a piece of Roman pottery, the cover of 
which the boy had accidentally broken: the whole mass 
was then extracted, and found to be filled with Roman 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 305 

1823. 

copper coins of various emperors ; they appeared imbedded 
together in an incrustation of verdigris, Avhich, when re- 
moved, showed many of them in a state as perfect as when 
fresh from the mint. The whole of these Aveighed 62 lbs., 
and consisted principally of coins of the emperor Constan- 
tine and his sons Constans, Coustantius, and Crispus, of 
Licinius and Macentius, together with the city coins of 
Rome and Constantinople. September 26th, the work- 
men, whilst making a new road from Hunslet to Bellisle, 
near JiCeds, uncovered a stone coffin, containing some thigh, 
leg, and arm bones, under a covering of plaster, which, 
when removed, exhibited the cast of a human body, with 
the impression of the linen which had enveloped it. The 
face appenred to have been covered with a semicircular 
glass, which was partially decomposed; the skull had 
perished, but the teeth remained in excellent preservation. 
A considerable number of glass beads were found in the 
cotRn, of various colours and sizes; but, though the coffin 
and its contents were carefully washed, no coin or inscrip- 
tion was found to fix the date o(" the interment. Mr. Blen- 
kinsop took charge of the coffin, which appeared to be of 
the Bramley Fall stone, and was covered with a lid five 

inches thick. October 23rd, was laid the foundation 

stone of the South market, in Hunslet and Meadow-lanes, 
Leeds, by George Banks, Esq. This market was erected 
from designs by R. D. Chantrell, Esq. In the centre is a 
circular temple, composed of twelve Doric pillars outside, 
and the same number inside. The outer ones support a 
bold entablature, and above rises a large cupola, used by 
the committee for meetings. It is enriched by twelve small 
attached columns, and covered in with a hemispherical 
leaded dome. Encircling this building, is a double series 
of stalls, standing back to back, with eaves projecting over 
the causeway; these are enclosed within the outer buildings, 
which are arranged quadrangularly, and consist of an inn 
and shops, with dwelling-houses over them. The cost of 
the building was £22,000, raised in £50 shares. This mar- 
ket is not used except for the holding of the leather fairs. 

Nov. 5th., the foundation stone of vShipiey church, dedi- 
cated to St. Paul, was laid by the vicar of Bradford. 

On the night of December 3rd, Leeds and the country 
for many miles round were visited by a dreadful storm of 
wind, which blew doTvn many chimneys, and several un- 
finished buildings, amongst which was a house at the top 
of Marsh-lane, (which overwhelmed a weaver's shop); 
part of the South market, the lof^y chimneys of Mr. Hirst's 



306 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1823.-1824. 

paper mill, and of Crank mill, near Morley ; a factory five 

stories high, at Ovenden, and many stacks of chimneys at 

York, Wakefield, Leeds, &c., but happily no lives wer© 

lost, though many persons were seriously injured. 

Dec. 11th. George Raw^son Esq., laid the first stone of 
the Independent chapel, in Queen-street, Leeds, called 
Queen-street chapel. It is built of brick, the front ex- 
hibiting a projection with the pediment, which is orna- 
mented by four Tuscan pilasters on the first story, sup- 
porting a frieze and entablature, on which are raised four 
Ionic pilasters, supporting the cornice and attic, which is 
also divided by smaller pilasters. The interior is very neat, 
with accommodation for 2,000 persons. There are two 
galleries, one of which is appropriated to the children of 
the Sunday schools. A burial ground is attached. The 

Rev. Wm. Guest is the minister. Wakefield church 

spire was again repaired, and raised to its original height, 
237 feet, by Mr. Charles Mountain, of Hull. A vane of 
lighter weight than the old one was placed on the top. 

1824. Jan. 7th. The dressing shop, with its machinery, 
belonging to Messrs. Sayner, of Hunslet-lane, Leeds, was 

destroyed by fire. Jan. 19th. A Roman brick and tile 

kiln was discovered, twenty inches below the surface, on 
B. H. Allen, Esq.'s estate, at Slack, in Longwood town- 
ship. The tiles were very perfect, together with several 
tubes used for conducting heat from the fire to the kiln ; 
the former were twelve inches long by five broad, and one 
thick, and chequered, as also were the tubes. A piece of 
tile or brick was inscribed, " COH. IIII. BRE." an inscrip- 
tion which Camden says was often found upon bricks at 
Grimescar, near Hudderstield. Slack is supposed to be 

the Cambodunum of Autonine. On the extinction of 

vicarial tithes in the borough of Leeds, in pursuance of 
the 5th Geo. IV, cap. 8, it was ordered by the corporation 
on the 5th of February in this year, that the treasurer 
should pay out of their stock such a sum not exceeding 
£500, as might " be wanted to complete an object attended 
with such manifest advantage to the parishioners at large." 

In February, a piece of coal, completely covered with 
cockle shells, was found at the depth of 150 feet, in a mine 

near Dewsbur5\ Feb. 6th. The extensive premises 

occupied by Messrs. Stirk and Horsfield, as machine 
makers, John Hilton, a tobacco manufacturer, and Charles 
Atkinson, a cloth fri<zer, in York-street, Leeds, were de- 
stroyed by fire. A number of silver coins, of the 

reigns of Mary, Elizabeth, Charles I., and James I. were 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 307 

1824. 

found March 11th, under an ancient building at Scholes, 

near Leeds. Died, on the 25th of February, this year, 

aged 89 years, Richard Birdsall, for sixty-two years a very 
highly respected local preacher in the Methodist connexion. 
His labours were iucesssant in the service of religion — 
labours from which no opposition could deter, and no 
flattery seduce. He was a preacher amongst the Method- 
ists at a time when its profession was considered a re- 
proach, and when that body were subject to a great 
deal of persecution. He was a pioneer in the cause, 
and had to bear the brunt of the battle. He is still 
remembered by hundreds and thousands of Methodists 
in Yorkshire as an eccentric, yet sincere, simple, and 
impressive preacher of the gospel : abounding in faith, 
love, and zeal. He was born on the 14th of March, 1735, 
at Kirby, in the parish of Kirby- Overblow, in York- 
shire. He died at York, and was interred in the church 
yard of St. Lawrence, without Walmgate bar. 

The Leeds Public Dispensary, situate 171, North- 
street, was established by public subscription in this 
year, and was intended for the relief of such sick poor 
as were, by circumstances, rendered unable to avail 
themselves of the advantages and benefits of the infir- 
mary. Its chief peculiarity consists in the visitation of 
the poor in their own homes by the medical officers. 
Many hundred cases of disease are thus annually treated, 
which could otherwise obtain no relief, the sufferers 
being too poor to provide themselves with medical as- 
sistance, and being at the same time unable to leave 
their families to seek the benefits of the infirmary. The 
funds of the Institution are but very small, the total 
amount of annual subscriptions only reaching £531 4s. 6d. 
The institution is under the management of twelve gentle- 
men. — Treasurer, Saml. James Brown, Esq., 28, Com- 
mercial-street; physicians, Dr. Wilson, Dr. Chadwick, 
Dr. Heaton; surgeons, W. R. Cass, Esq., Henry Chorley, 
Esq., and Claude Wheelhouse, Esq.; apothecary and 
secretary, Mr. Fred. Holmes; auditors, J. D. Luccock, 
Esq., and C. G. Maclea, Esq. 

The Leeds Mechanics' Institution and Literary Society 
was established on the 1st of December, this year, in a. 
confined and remote locality, at the back of Park-row. 

The names of the first officers of the institution were — Benjamin 
Gott, Esq., president; John Marshall, Esq., and John Luccock, Esq., 
■vice-presidents; John Darnton, Esq., treasurer; Mr. Todd, secretary j 
and the following directors: — Rev. G. Walker, Mr. Cawood, Mr, 



308 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1824. 

Ravvson, Dr. "Williamson, Mr. E. S. George, Mr. E. Baines, jun., Dr. 
Hunter, Mr. West, Mr. John Heaps, Mr. S. Petty, jun., Mr. Thomp- 
son, Mr. J. 0. March, Mr. Joshua Dixon, Mr. Wood, and Mr. W. 
Da vies. 

The present hall is a plain bufc tolerably commodious 
building, situated in South- parade. The ground floor is 
occupied for schools connected with the institute, and 
the upper consists of the large room used as a lecture 
and new3-room, and also as a library. At the end is 
an elevated platform, divided by columns, which serves 
as a rostrum for the lecturer. The walls are adorned 
with busts of literary and scientitic men, and an ex- 
cellent full-length portrait of the late Edward Baines, 
Esq., (who Avas one of the best friends of the institu- 
tion) painted by Richard Waller, of Leeds. The portrait 
was presented by subscribers, chiefly confined to the 
members of the institute. But a far more valuable and 
useful covering of the walls is found in the books con- 
stituting the library, now numbering 11,000 volumes, 
many of them of a highly scientitic character, and cir- 
culating widely amongst its 1,646 members. The total 
issue for 1858 was ;i6,831. The books are so arranged 
as to be closed in when the room is required for lectures, 
Sic, and the newspapers, ordinaril}'- arranged over the 
entire room, are then removed to a lower one. The 
news-room is open daily from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., and 
contains 11 daily papers, 28 weekly newspapers and 
periodicals, 3 fortnightly periodicals, 41 monthly, and 
15 quarterly journals. The session commences in October, 
and lectures are delivered weekly, oroftener; the usual 
evenings are Monday and Wednesday, commencing at 
eight o'clock. The officers of the society consist of a 
president, two vice-presidents, treasurer, two honorary 
secretaries, and eighteen directors; secretary and libra- 
rian, Mr. John Pickering; assistant librarian, Mr. James 
Burgoyne. 

The following curious epitaph is on a tombstone in 
the Low- moor church yard, near Bradford : — 

"In Memory of Christopher Barlow, blacksmith, of 
Raw Nook, who died October 9th, 1824, aged 56 years." 
" My stithy and my hammer I reclined ; 

My bellows, too, have lost their wind ; 
My fire's extinguished, and my forge decay'd. 

And in the silent dust my vice is laid : 
My coal is spent, my stock of iron's gone, 
My last nail driven, and my work is done." 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 309- 

1824. 

An instance of undaunted and successful courage oc- 
curred in Ardsley, in the year 1824, so truly extra- 
ordinary that it deserves distinct record in the "Annals.'* 
Mr. John Boyle, a gentleman upwards of eighty years 
of age, and who had been reduced to extreme debility 
by a long illness, liv^ed with his wife and a servant 
girl in a lonely house and in a bad neighbourhood. Since 
it was known that he had lately received his rents, six 
or seven ruffians determined to rob the house, and from 
the desperate depravity of their characters, there is 
little doubt that they would not have hesitated to add 
murder to robbery. About one o'clock in the morning 
of the 25th of July, the}'^ arrived at Mr. Boyle's resi- 
dence, and by the noise they made in entering, awoke 
Elizabeth Balmforth, the servant girl, who with wonder- 
ful presence of mind first secured a door which opened 
upon the landing of the better rooms, and then alarmed 
her master. The courageous old man armed himself 
with a carbine which had not been tired for two years, 
and a double barrelled pistol which he put into his 
pocket, and, followed by his wife, Avho carried a drawn 
sword, proceeded down the principal staircase to attack 
the robbers. Perceiving a man by the kitchen door he 
fired his carbine, which mortally wounded the robber, 
and the remaining miscreants, with the cowardice which 
always accompanies guilt, immediately took to their 
heels. The wounded robber crawled from the house, 
and was perceived at day break in the agonies of death. 
He proved to be a Mr. John Scott, an inhabitant of 
Morley, and maintained to the last his fidelity to his 
comrades, making no confession whatever. Two of 
them were, however, soon afterwards apprehended and 
sentenced to die — they were not executed, but were 
transported for life. 

The Leeds Oil Gas Company was established in January, 
this year, and in a short time obtained a capital of 
£20,000, raised in £10 shares ; but after an unsuccessful 
career of about nine years, the company was dissolved 
by act of parliament. The Leeds new gas company 

purchased the apparatus, &c., for £5,300. York was 

first lighted with gas on March 22nd, this year, under 

an act passed in 1823. On the 26Lh of April, this 

year, was laid the first stone of Brunswick chapel, 
Brunswick-street, Camp-road, Leeds. It is a large and 
handsome stone edifice, one end of which is semi- 
circular. A burial ground surrounds the chapel, and the 



310 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1824. 

whole is enclosed by a wall surmounted by iron palisa- 
ding. The spacious interior has a gallery extending all 
round the building, and 2,500 persons can be accom- 
modated with sittings. On the walls are four beautiful 
monumental tablets in marble. The pulpit is a very 
handsome one, of polished Spanish mahogany; and the 
noble organ which stands in the gallery immediately 
behind, has an elegant case of the same wood richly 
carved, with gilt pipes in front and sides, as well as a 
screen for the orchestra, resembling the case, on a 
smaller scale. The whole when viewed from the ground 
floor, has an imposing effect, and harmonizes well with 
the pulpit. The organ was built in 1827, by the late 
Mr. Joseph Booth, of Wakefield, but has within the last 
few years been greatly enlarged by his son, Mr. F. 
Booth; it is considered one of the sweetest-toned in- 
struments in the county, and is fortunately in the hands 
of a master of his profession, Mr. Edward Booth, organist, 
of Leeds. It cost £1,821, for the principal part of 
which amount, the trustees were indebted to the muni- 
ficent generosity of William Smith, Esq., of Gledhow. 
The organ was opened by the late Samuel Wesley, 
father of Dr. S. S. Wesley, late of Leeds. The stationed 
ministers are tlie Revs. T. Vasey, J. D. Erocklehurst, 
and G. W. Olver, B.A. 

On April 11th, Isaac Crowther's woollen mill, at 

Morley, was burnt down. On April 14th, Mr. Green 

ascended in his balloon from the Halifax Piece Hall, 
and alighted near Hornby castle, the seat of the duke 
of Leeds, sixty- three miles from the place of his ascent. 

" The Leeds Patriot " was commenced in April, this 
year, by Messrs. Fothergill and Thompson, and was 
published on the Saturday for some time af terv/ards ; 
the day of publication was then changed to Tuesday — 
subsequently it appeared again on the Saturday, and in 
December, 1828, became the property of Mr. John Foster. 

The institution of the Leeds or Haigh park races on the 
23rd of June, this year, was an unfortunate event for the 
town : cherishing a spirit of gambling, exercising an in- 
jurious influence upon public morals, and interrupting the 
employment and consequently diminishing the comfort of 
many who derive their daily bread from the produce of 
their hands. The race course, which is admirably adapted 
for the purpose, is situated about three miles south from 
the town, on the new road to Pontefract; it was provided 
with a grand stand and the usual appendages of such a 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 311 

18-24. 

place, with accommodation for horses and their riders. 
At lirst these races were held ammally in June, but in 
1S30 it was determined that for the future they should 
take place in August. The most extraordinary feats ever 
performed in the race ground were achieved by captain 
Polhill, of the hrst dragoon guards, then stationed in 
Leeds barracks. On November 9th, 1S26, this officer, for 
a wager, rode ninety-five miles in four hours«and seven- 
teen minutes, and on the 17th of April followiiig, the same 
officer on the same ground walked lifty miles, drove fifty 
miles, and rode fifty miles, in the short space of nineteen 
hours and five minutes, and was afterwards drawn by the 
populace to the barracks in his carriage. 

In June, a child was stolen from William Rodgers 
and wife, of Hunslet, near Leeds, by Charlotte Peck, 
alias Shaw, a woman who had been accustomed to va- 
grant habits, but who for a short time had taken 
lodgings in Hunslet, but subsequent!}' went into the 
service of Mrs. Urquhart, in whose name she committed 
this cruel fraud, under pretence that Mrs. Urquhart 
was desirous of seeing the child. As soon as the little 
boy was missed by its distressed parents, suspicion 
fell upon the woman, who had often been seen noticing 
the child in the street, and who had not been at her 
employer's since the hour when the child disappeared. 
The feelings of the parents may be better imagined 
than described ; for three months they were doomed to 
the most distressing suspense, though week after week 
the father was running over the country in quest of his 
lost boy, then only four years old, and the newspapers 
in all parts of the kingdom reported his sufferings, and 
described the person and dress of the kidnapper, which 
active publicity furnished him ever and anon with a 
gleam of hope, and kept him in chase of the run-a-way, 
whose movements were so rapid, that during three 
months she travelled with the child upwards of 1,500 
miles in England, Scotland, and France, whither the 
father followed her to Calais, but found she had left 
before his arrival, a painful disappointment which he 
several times experienced. At length she was taken at 
Swansea, in Wales; the child was restored to its parents, 
but died soon after, and the criminal Avas sentenced to 
be transported for seven years. She, however, died in 
York castle, supposed of grief. 

Died on July 7th, aged SI, Sir George Wood, who, 
during a great part of his life sat as judge in the 



312 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1824. 

Northern circuit, and was one of the barons of the ex- 
chequer. He was born at Barnsley, where he was 
articled to Mr. West, an attorney, who often declared 
that "George Wood would become a judge." So soon 
did he indicate that sound judgment in which he ex- 
celled on the bench, though he had not much oratorical 
power, and retained the characteristic bluntness of a 
Yorkshirertian. He retired from office in 1823, and died 

worth £300,000. On July 16th, Messrs. Brancker, 

Brown, and Co.'s woollen manufactory, in Mill Garth, 
Leeds, was destroyed by fire; but the warehouse was 

providentially saved, On July 2Sth, was laid the 

first stone of the concert room, at York. 

Sept. 2nd. The inhabitants on the banks of the river 
Aire were greatly alarmed by the disruption of a bog at 
Crow-hill, above Haworth, in a wild part of the county 
of York, adjoining to Lancashire, which kept the water 
of the river Aire in such a turbid state, that for some time 
it could not be used, either for culinary or manufacturing 
purposes. The event was thus described in the Leeds 
Mercury as follows : — Crow hill, the scene of this phe- 
nomenon, is about nine miles from Keighley, and six from 
Colne, at an elevation of about 1,000 feet above the former 
place. The top of the moor, which is nearly level, is 
covered with peat and other accumulations of decayed 
vegetables of a less firm texture ; the whole appeared 
saturated with water, and in most places trembled under 
the tread of the foot. The superfluous water at the east 
end of the moor drained into small rivulets at the bottom 
of a deep glen or gill, down a precipitous range of rocks, 
which presented the appearance of a gigantic staircase. 
This rivulet passes down the valley to Keighley, and 
enters the Aire, near Stockbridge, about a mile below that 
town. At the distance of about 500 yards from the top 
of the glen, the principal discharge seems to have taken 
place : here a very large area of about 1,200 yards in cir- 
cumference, is excavated to the depth of from four to six 
yards ; and at a short distance from this chasm there is a 
similar excavation, but much less in extent. These con- 
cavities have been emptied, not only of their water, but 
also of their solid contents. A channel about twelve 
yards in width, and seven or eight in depth, has been 
formed quite to the mouth of the gill, down which a most 
amazing quantity of water was precipitated, with a 
violence and noise of which it is difficult to form an 
adequate conception, and which was heard to a consider- 



THE SURROU:XDING DISTRICT. 313 

1824. 

able distance. Stones of an immense size and v/eight 
were hurried by the torrent more than a mile. It is im- 
possible to form any computation of the ([uantity of earthy 
matter vv'hich has been carried down into the valley; but 
that it is enormous is evident from the vast quantities de- 
posited by the torrent in every part of its course. 

This destructive torrent was confined within narrow 
bounds by the high glen through which it passed, until 
it reached the hamlet of Pendens, where it expanded 
over some corn fields covering them to the depth of several 
feet; it also filled up the mill-pond, choking up the water 
course, and thereby putting an entire stop to the vvxrks. 
A stone bridge was also nearl}'' swept away at this place, 
and several others in its coui'se were materially damaged; 
and it is remarkable that it was not fatal to life in a single 
instance. The torrent was seen coming down the glen 
before it reached the hamlef, by a person who gave the 
alarm, and thereby saved the lives of several children, 
who would otherwise have been swept away. The torrent 
at this time presented a breast of seven feet high. The 
track and extent of this inundation of mud may be ac- 
curately traced all the way from the summit of the hill to 
the conliuence of the rivulet with the Aire, by the black 
deposit which it has left on its banks. The first bursting 
of the bog took place at six o'clock in the evening of 
Thursday, the 2nd instant, and another very considerable 
discharge occurred on the following day, about eight in 
the morning, and it is highly probable that other extensive 
portions of the bog will, from time to time hereafter, be 
discharged into the Aire in a similar manner. No human 
being was on the spot to witness the commencement of 
this awful phenomenon and of course, we cannot arrive 
at an absolute degree of certainty as to its cause; the 
most probable one, is the bursting of a water-spout. The 
suddenness and violence of the disruption strongly favours 
this supposition. It would evidently require a power 
acting with a great degree of momentum to move and 
break in pieces the large and almost solid masses of peat 
and turf which were forced down the hill, to say nothing 
of the detached rocks which were moved. The state of 
the atmosphere about the time when the disruption took 
place, also renders this solution highly probable, the air 
being fully charged with electric matter." "At the time 
of the irruption," says Mr. Bronte, " the clouds were cop- 
per coloured, gloomy, and lowering ; the atmosphere was 
strongly electrified, and unusually close." These appear- 

27 



314 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1824. 

ances, as they indicated, were followed by a severe 
thunder storm, during- which it is more than probable that 
some heavily loaded cloud poured its contents upon the 
spot. We may add, in support of this hypothesis, that 
more water seems to have been sent down the glen than 
could have been supplied by the contents of the two bogs- 
which have been excavated. But, perhaps, a still more 
important inquiry is, what can be done to prevent a re- 
currence of similar eruptions ? This is rather a difficult 
question; there is, however, no doubt but the drainage of 
the moss would remove the danger, as no instance exists 
of either the bursting or floating away of a drained bog. 
Probably the channels now made, should they remain open, 
will give the requisite stabilitj^ to the peaty soil." 

Sept. 6th. St. Peter's church, at Stanley, near Wakefield, 

was consecrated by the archbishop of York. The new 

market, at Bradford, was opened on the I6th of September, 

this year. September 22nd, was laid the first stone 

of St. John's church, at Roundhay, which was founded 
and endowed b}'" Stephen Nicholson, Esq., in whom and 
his heirs the patronage is vested for ever by a special act 
of parliament, obtained in the 5th of George IV. 

On the 5th of November, Mr. Moses Atkinson's extensive 
flax mill, at the Bank, in Leeds, was destroyed by fire : 

damage £10,000. On the 26th of November, was laid 

by Lepton Dobson, Esq., the first stone of the Leeds Cen- 
tral Market, Duncan-street. This handsome covered 
market was erected from the designs of F. Goodwin, Esq., 
of London, and was opened in 1827- The building is of 
stone. The front exhibits a striking elevation of Grecian 
architecture, consisting of a central division and lateral 
wings. The columns are of the Ionic order, and the words 
" Central Market " are inscribed on the archatrave. The 
interior is very spacious, the centre being divided into 
three walks, with stalls. A gallery is carried round three 
sides of the building, and was for many years fitted with 
stalls, and used for the sale of hardware, fancy articles, 
&c. ; but has been occupied as a shoe market since the 
removal of the stalls from Briggate. Around the exterior 
of the edifice, are a number of shops, chiefly occupied by 
provision dealers. The want of success of this valuable 
market was, we believe, mainly attributable to the bad 
regulations and want of cleanliness ; but considerable 
improvements have been effected. The building cost 
JE35,000, including the ground. The market opens at 8 
a.m., and closes at 8 p.m. ; excepting between Easter and 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 315 

1824. 

Whiisuntide, and threo weeks before Christmas, when it is 
open till 9 p.m., and every Saturday till 11 o'clock, p.m. 

December 2ist. The river Aire again overflowed and 
inundated the lower streets of Leeds, and washed away 
iifty yards of the embankment wall in Water-lane, the 
toll-bar and wooden house at Waterloo ford, and Redcote 

bridge, Kirkstall. Dec. 27th. The wife of Charles 

Hardy, of Bradley mills, was safely delivered of three line 
girls, who were baptized Faith, Hope, and Charity. 

The Leeds and Yorkshire Fire and Life Insurance Com- 
pany was established this year, with a capital of £1,000,000. 
The site for their recently erected and elegant stone edifice 
is well chosen, at the junction of Commercial-street and 
Albion-street. The exterior presents a beautiful and 
striking elevation in the Italian style, having an enriched 
rusticated ground story, supporting a principal story, with 
a suite of windows all round, parted by Corinthian columns, 
and surmounted by an ornamental entablature, over which 
is another story carrying the building to an imposing 
height. Its cost was about £6,000. W. B. Gingell, Es(p, 
of Bristol, architect. W. Lister, Esq., is managing director, 
and B. F. Scott, Esq., secretary. The company's engine 
is kept in the Rose and Crown yard. 

About the same time was established in the city of 
York, the Yorkshire Insurance Company, with a capital of 
£51)0,000, and like that at Leeds, " for the insurance against 
fire, and on lives and survivorships ; endowments of 
children; and for the purchase and sale of revisions and 

annuities." This year the duke of Devonshire sold 

the town of Wetherby in 174 lots. There was, this 

year, a reduction of the duties on coals and rum, and a 
repeal of the duties on law proceedings. An important 
enactment of this ses>^ion was one which established a 

uniformity of weights and measures. A committee 

of the House of Commons, with Mr, Hume as chairman, 
recommended (and which was soon made law) a repeal of 
the laws which prohibited the emigration of artizans. The 
House of Commons also reduced the duties on raw 
silk to 3d. per lb : from 5s. 7)ad. on all that did not 
come from Bengal, and 4s. on all that did. The duties on 
thrown silk were reduced from 14s. 8d. to 7s. 6d. per lb. 

The importation of foreign silks was still prohibited up 
to July, 1825, M^hen they \vere to be admitted at an c(d 
valorem duty of 30 per cent. The case of the woolleu 
manufacture, which received a similar boon this year, was 
somewhat different from that of silk. No duty was laid 



316 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 
1824.-1825. 

on wool till 1S03, and then it; amounted to little more than 
^(\. per lb. The daty never exceeded Id. per lb. till 1819, 
when Mr. Vansittart most imprudently increased it to 6d. 
per lb. Mr. Kuskinson introduced a measure rev'erting to 
to the former plan: Foreign wool imported for English 
consumption of the value of Is. per lb, and upwards was 
to pay a duty of Id. per lb ; and wool of an inferior qnality 
was to pay li" d. per lb. English wool growers were now 
permitted to export wool on payment of a duty of Id. 
per lb. In the summer of this year, there was dis- 
covered in a quarry at Morley, in a solid block of stone, 
and at a depth of twenty-five feet from the surface of the 
earth, eight or ten fossil nuts or acorns. The nuts were 
"ovate" and "angular," which proves them to have been 
oak acorns; besides which, they did not seem to have 
been fixed in a calix or cup, but like stone fruit to have 
hung suspended by a stalk. In the same block of stone 
were also fossil remains of the cane or reed, which is now 
a native of the Indies ; and what is more curious, a piece 
of iron of the v/edge form, two or three inches long. 

1825. On the 12th of January, twenty-five men and 
boys were killed by an explosion of fire damp, in the 
Gosforth coal mine, at Middle ton, near Leeds. 

Feb. 3rd. The septennial festival in honour of I3ishop 
Blaize, was celebrated at Bradford with unusual splendour. 
As it appears probable that the honours then paid to the 
wool-combers' Saint will be the last of the kind rendered 
here, it will be interesting to give an account of the cere- 
mony. The weather being very fine, at an early hour in 
the morning the surrounding towns and villages began to 
pour in their population. About eight o'clock in the 
morning, the persons intending to form part of the pro- 
cession began to assemble in Wesfgate; and shortly before 
ten o'clock, under the supcrintendance of Matthew 
Thompson, Esq., wtre formed in the following order: — 

Herald, bearing a tiag. — Twenty- four woolstaplers on horseback, each 
horse caparisoned v/itn a fleece. — Thirty-eight worsted spinners and 
manufacturers on horsebick, in white stuff waistcoats, with each a 
sliver of wool over his shoulder and a white stuff sash : the horses' 
necks covered with nets made of thick yarn. — Six merchants on horse- 
back, with coloured sashes. — Three guards. — Masters' colours. — -Three 
Guards. — Fift3''-six apprentices and masters' sons on horseback, with. 
ornamented caps, scarlet coloured coats, white stuff vvaistcoats, and 
blue pantaloons. — Bradford and Keighley bands. — Mace hearer, on 
foot. — Six guards. — Kuig. — Queen. — Six guards. — Guards. — Jason. — 
Princess Medea. — Guards. — Bishop's chaplain. — BISHOP BLAISE. 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 317 

1825. 

— Shepherd and shepherdess. — Shepherd swains. — One hundred and 
sixty woolsorters on horsebick, with ornamented caps and various 
coloured slivers. — Thirty comb makers. — Charcoal burners — Combers' 
colours. — Band. — Four hundred and seventy wool-combers, with wool 
wigs, &c — Band, — Forty dyers, with red cockades, blue aprons, and 
crossed slivers of red and blue. 

The procession started about ten o'clock, and proceeded 
through the principal streets and roads of the town ; and 
did not disperse till about five o'clock. The whole caval- 
cade reached upwards of half a mile. Several splendid 
and well-painted tiags were displayed. The person who 
figured as the '■ King " in the procession, was an old man 
named William Clough, from Darlington, v/ho had sus- 
tained the part on four previous occasions. Jason was 
personated by a John Smith. — the fair Medea rode by his 
side. Bishop Blaize was represented with becoming 
gravity by another John Smith, w^ho had, too, borne the 
pastoral crook on several other commemorations. His 
cha'plain v/as James Beetham. 

The ornaments of the spinners and manufacturers had a 
neat and even elegant appearance, from the delicate and 
glossy whiteness of the finely- combed wool which they 
wore. The apprentices and masters' sons, hovrever, 
formed the most show^y part of the procession ; tlieir caps 
being richly ornamented with ostrich feathers, flowers, 
and knots of various coloured yarn; and their stuff gar- 
ments formed of the gayest colours. Some of these 
dresses were very costly, from the profusion of their 
decorations. The shepherd, shepherdess, and swains were 
attired in bright green. The wool-sorters, from their 
number, and the height of their plumes of feathers, which 
were mostly of different colours, formed in the shape of a 
fleur-de-lis, had a da.shing appearance. The comb-makers 
carried before them the instruments here so much cele- 
brated, raised on standards, togotner with golden fleeces, 
rams' heads with gilded horns, and other emblems. The 
wool-combers were neatly dressed, and looked mighty 
wise in their odd- fashioned and full flowing wigs of 
combed wool — and the garb of the dyers was quite pro- 
fessional. 

Sunday, April 3rd, Abram Rhodes and Co.'s extensive 
woollen mill, at Woodbouse carr, near Leeds was partly 
destroyed by fire, which commenced in the third story, 
and consumed all the machinery, &c., in that and on the 
two next floors above and below; but the two lower 
stories were saved. April 26th. As the workmen 



318 ANNALS OF LKEDsi, YORK, AND 

1825. 

were employed at the height of fifty -one feet, in fixing the 
roof of the new Independent chapel, at Back-green, Hud- 
dersfield, a plank of unusual length, without any support 
in the centre, suddenly broke, and precipitated seventeen 
men into the body of the chapel, where two were killed 
on ihe spot, two more died soon after, and the rest were 

dreadfully hurt. March 16th, was laid the first stone 

of the Independent chapel, at Gomersal. May 24th. 

The vicar of Dewsbury laid the first stone of a new church 

at Earls Heaton. The demolition of the Middle row, 

at Leeds, was completed May 30fch, and Briggate, in which 
the ancient pile stood, was rendered one of the finest pro- 
vincial streets in the kingdom. June 9th. Mr. Green, 

sen., made his 32]id ascent from the coloured Cloth Hall 
yard, Leeds, in his beautiful balloon, which descended at 
Askham-Richard, eighteen miles from Leeds. Mr. Green 
was accompanied in this ascent by Miss Shocks, the young 
lady who ascended with Mr. Harris, from London, and fell 
with him from a great elevation, in consequence of the 

sudden escape of gas. July Gth. Was opened, the 

new tnrnpike road from Leeds to Birstal, by way of Y/el- 
lington bridge ; it is fifty feet wide, and avoids all difficult 
ascents; the committee and many other gentlemen per- 
ambulated the whole line. ^In April, this year, a 

Mechanics' institute was established at ITuddersfield. 

This year was the most disastrous to Bradford in its 
events of any in modern times. From the great pomp 
with which the Bishop Blaize festival was celebrated in 
February, it seems that the trade here was then very 
prosperous. The wool-combers and stuff-weavers of 
Bradford and the surrounding villages had long been dis- 
contented with their wages, (though they were then very 
nign), and, after unsuccessfully endeavouring to obtain an 
advance. " turned out " of their work. On the I4th of 
June this famous "strike" commenced. The workmen, 
to the number of nearly 20,000, associated themselves in 
the name of the Bradford union, under the leadership of a 
wool-comber named John Tester. Their demands were 
perseveringly opposed by the masters; and, as a conse- 
quence, the trade of Bradford was nearly stopped. The 
unemployed men were supported by subscriptions from 
the operatives in various parts of the kingdom ; the suma 
raised for the purpose were immense, and enabled the 
malcontents to strive with the masters for twenty-three 
weeks, when the money began to fail, and Tester abscond- 
ing with part of the funds, on the 7th of November the 



THE SURROU:s^DING DISTRICT. 319 

1825 

union was dissolved; but 1,200 of the wool-combers and 
weavers, and 1,000 of the children could not lind employ- 
ment even at the old prices. 

July 7th, were 0];)ened the new Baths, at Slaithwaite, 
where some years before a spa was discovered, rising ia 
the channel of the river, from which it has been separated. 

About the same time the spa at Lockwood, near Hud- 
dersiield, was first brought into notice. 

July. A large block of grit stone, with the indention of 
a palm leaf near the base, and exhibiting other syraptous 
of organic remains, was brought from the quarry at Bram- 
ley fall, to the Central market, where the workmen pre- 
pared it for building. Large masses of petrified timber 
are so common in this neighbourhood, as scarcely to pro- 
duce any surprise in the mind of the geologist. 

On the 30th June, the merchants and manufacturers of 
Saddleworth gave a public dinner, with a silver cup of 
fifty guineas, to William Hirst, of Leeds, as a testimony 
of the high sense they entertain of his abilities and perse- 
verance as a woollen manufacturer; and of their esteem 
for his frankness and liberality in communicating his im- 

pro^-ements to the public." On the 30th of July, one 

of the projecting wings of Armley mills, belonging to 
Messrs. Gott and Sons, was destroyed by fire : the damage 

was estimated at £5,000. In August, much interest 

was excited in the neighbourhood of Huddersfield, by the 
discovery of some diluvian remains, with impressions in 
the sand stone of animals and plants; a number of them 
evidently such as could onl}'- have existed in tropical 

climates. Died on the 25th of October, at his house 

in Portman-square, London, "waiter Fawkes, Esq., of 

Farnley hall, near Otley. Public credit in Yorkshire 

received a distressing shock on December 9th, by the 
stoppage and bankruptcy of iMessrs. Wentworth, Chaloner, 
and Rish worths; the bankers of London, "Wakefield, Brad- 
ford, and York. 

In September, this year, a railway was opened which 
led from the mines near Darlington to the wliarfs on the 
Tees, at Stockton — the whole distance about twenty miles 
— for the transport of coal. The waggons were drawn by 
horses, and ten miles an hour was the usual speed. In 
the following year two of Stephenson's locomotives were 
employed on the line in addition to the horses. Stephen- 
eon's assertion, during an examination before a committee 
of the House of Commons, on the subject of railways, 
that it would not be difiicult to make a locomotive travel 



320 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1825.-1826. 

fifteen or twenty miles an hour, provoked one of the 

members to reply, that the engineer could only be fit for 

a lunatic asylum. 

1820. In January, the new churches at Leeds, Wood- 
house, and Roundhay were consecrated by the archbishop. 
Quarry-hill church, Leeds, was consecrated Oct. 12th. 

On January 19th, about four o'clock in the afternoon, 
Mr. George Hammond's flax mill, at the Bank, in Leeds, 
took lire, and the flames spread with such rapidity, that 
man}'' of the workmen were severel}'- scorched, and about 
ten persons in the attic had no means of escape, except 
passing through the roof, and thence into an adjoining 
mill ; the building was reduced to a ruin, and the loss of 
machinery and goods amounted to £3,000. 

The years 1824, 1825, and 1825, will ever be memorable 
for the creation of Joint Stock Companies, by which im- 
mense loss was sustained by persons in all parts of the 
kingdom. There was a perfect rage to take shares in 
companies started for ever conceivable object — such as 
baking, washing, baths, life assurance, brewing, coal 
portage, wool growing, &c. There was such a rage for 
steam navigation, canals, and railroads, that in the session 
of 1825, 438 petitions for private bills were presented, and 
286 private acts were passed. The acknowledgment of 
the independence of some of the South American states, 
turned the tide of speculation in that direction. Companies 
were formed to obtain gold and silver from the mountain 
tops and clefts, where there v/ere no workmen or tools to 
do the work, no fuel for the fires, and no road or carriages 
to bring away the produce. There was to be so much 
gold ana Sliver, that alter the national debt had been paid 
off, the value of money in England and all Europe would 
be essentially changed. Gems and pearls were to abound 
tj such a degree, that the jewels of ancient families were 
soon to be shamed. People who declined stock exchange 
speculation, aimed at growing rich by trading to the land 
ot gold. It is said that more Manchester goods arrived at 
Rio Janeiro, than had been before required for twenty years, 
and merchandise was left exposed on the beach till the 
over-crowded warehouses could afford room for its storage. 

Then came the collapse — cotton, wine, silk, and other 
foreign products came into the market in such vast 
quantities, that prices fell incessantly. Then followed 
a panic unequalled in history for the extent of ruin it 
produced, the intensity of its distress, and the universality 
of its alarm. Commercial houses of long standing failed, 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 321 

1826. 

that were supposed to be immensely rich. The bank of Eng- 
land narrowed its discounts. On the 5th of December, 1S25, 
the banking-house of Sir Peter Pole and Co., stopped; 
and had accounts with forty-four country banks. The 
news of this failure spread, and the funds ^Aent down imme- 
diately — and faster still next da)', when the bank of Williams 
and Co. stopped. From this time the crash went on 
without intermission, till in five or six weeks from sixty 
to seventy banks had stopped payment. Between October 
1S25 and February 1826, fifty-nine commissions of bank- 
ruptcy were issued against English country banks ; and 
four times the number of private compositions are said 
to have taken place by banks during the same period. 
On the stoppage of Pole's bank, an issue v.^as made of 
one and two pound bank notes for country circulation ; 
and the ^Mint v/as set to work to coin sovereigns as fast 
as the machinery would go. For about a week the 
coinage amounted to l.l'O.OOO sovereigns per day. While 
merchants and manufacturers were unable to meet pecu- 
niary obligations, their Avorkmen were without employ- 
ment, and distrrss reached every class of the community. 
He was indeed a lucky man that was not affected by 
this panic. After the panic, the fearful sufferings of the 
poorer classes led them into riotous proceeding?. The 
rioters of Lancashire commenced the destruction of 
poAver-looms, supposed to be the cause of their distress. 
In one day every power-loom in Blackburn, and within 
six miles of it vv'-as destroyed. In less than a v/eek a 
thousand power-looms were destroyed. The mob went 
from town to to^n in thousands, armed with table 
knives made into spikes, and sledge hammers, and did a 
great amount of mischief. 

The Thames tunnel was commenced this year, by Mr. 
Brunei, the engineer. The Avork was continued for two 
years with various disasters, but with an indomitable per- 
severance on the part of the engineer. Then the directors 
became discouraged, the funds v.^ere exhausted, and the 
tunnel was shut up for seven year.?. It was afterwards 
prosecuted to completion. 

January 5th. As some workmen were removing an ancient 
wall, at Garforth, near Leeds, they found a leathern purse, 
con:aining forty-one pieces of coin, of the reigns of Eliza- 
beth. James I., and Charles I., which are supposed to have 
been deposited there in the time of the civil vars. 

Died this year, at Wilsden, near Bradford, in the 93rd 
year of her age, Mrs. Hannah Jowett, who, Avhile all the 



322 ' ANNALS OF LEEDS, YOS-K, AND 

1826. 

family were in attendance at public worship, had knelt 
down near the fire, in the act of private devotion, when 
her clothes caught fire, and she was burnt in so dreadful a 
manner as to occasion her death two days after the catas- 
trophe. Nearly all the female children of the parish for 
two generations, had been indebted to the pious dame 
Jowett for their early instruction. 

The density of the atmosphere in London, on Monday, 
January 16th, v/as so great that carriages in many places 
were absolutely immoveable, simply by the horses not being 
able to see the ground, Avhile the darkness was so great 
that no part of St. Paul's cathedral could be seen from the 
western railing ; Cheapside and the city generally pre- 
sented a scene of real desolation, and all the manufactories 
and workshops Avere obliged to use their full complement 

of night lights. Thomas Wade left money in 1530 for 

the repair of certain roads, out of v/hich fund £1,000 was 
obtained this year and paid towards the opening of 
Bond-street from Albion- street to the infirmary. 
)f The establishment of an university at Leeds was recom- 
mended by Mr. Marshall. Jan. 15th. At the parish church, 

Calverley, v.ere buried, James Brayshaw, of Idle, cloth 
maker, aged 87, and Martha, his wife, Avho had been married 
and lived together sixty-six years, and had a family of nine 
children, fifty-nine grand- children, fifty-five great grand- 
children, and three great great grand-children, in all 126. 

During the intensity of the frost that generally prevailed 
in England, there was a wren's nest built under the eaves 
of a thatched cottage, at Beighton, near Sheffield, con- 
taining five young ones, hatched at Christmas, Avhich were 
regularly fed by the parent bird, from crumbs placed v/ithin 
its reach. An apple tree in the same neighbourhood ex- 
hibited five or six apples in a growing state. 

In January, a box was sent from Leeds to Newcastle, 
directed to a Mr. Simpson, of Edinburgh, and was found 
to contain the corpse of a Mr. Daniel, who had been in- 
terred in St. John's church yard, Leeds, on the 1st of 
January, and on searching the grave, the coffin was 
found empty. Mr. Daniel's son immediately Avent to New- 
castle, where he recognised the body of his deceased 
parent, Thomas Daniel, by various well-knoAvn marks 
imprinted upon it with gunpowder. In the mean time, 
George Cox, the son of a broker and box maker of Leeds, 
was recognised by the clerk of the telegraph coach-oflSce, 
as the man who delivered the package. He Avas conse- 
quently apprehended, and though he pleaded that a 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 323 

1826. 

strang-er Jew, who had lodged a short time at his fatlier's, 
had employed him to make the box, and that be knew 
not its contents, though he took it to the ooach-omce, 
he was found guilty of body stealing at the sessions, 
and sentenced to six mouths' imprisonment in York castle. 

In February, a package similar to the above was sent 
from Leeds by coach, directed to IMr. Jackson, of Edin- 
burgh, but it was also opened at Newcastle, and found 
to contain the body of a man, about sixty years of age. 

Feb. Sir Sandford Graham gave the munificent sum of 
£500 towards the erection of a church at Kirkstall, near 

Leeds. On February 16th, died Lindley Murray, who 

•wrote and published so many excellent elementar}'- and 
other works, principally for the use of schools. He expired 
in his 8Ist year, at Holdgate, near York, where he had 
lived many years. He was the son of a miller, and was 
born at Swetara, near Lancaster, in Pensylvania, in the 
United States of America, Vv-hich he left in 178-1, and 

settled in England. Feb 20th. Died, aged 61 years, 

Mr. MattheAv 3Iurray, engineer, of Leeds, whose improve- 
ments in the steam-engine flax spinning, and other ma- 
chinery, will be a lasting testimony of his skill. 

In the course of the week previous to the 11 (h of March, 
a pig, fed at Parliogton, near Aberford, was slaughtered in 
the shambles, at Leeds, which weighed 46 stones 6 lbs., 
long weight. 

In March, the body of Martha Oddy, 15 years of age, 
the daughter of a clothier, was stolen out of its grave 
in Armley church yard, and was also despatched to 
Edinburgh, but after a long, persevering, and painful 
chase, was regained by the distressed parents, brought 
back, and re-interred in its original grave. A few days 
after the re-interment, three men were apprehended on 
suspic'on of having committed this daring offence, and 
one of them, Michael Armstrong, was sentenced at the 
Leeds sessions to six months' imprisonment in York 
castle. 

In March, this year, the long pending Wakefield vSoke 
Cause, which commenced in 1820, was terminated at 
York, before Judge Bayley, and a special jury, who by 
their verdict established the custom of the soke, in favour 
of the plaintiffs. Sir Edward Dodsworth, hart., Godfrey 
Wentworth "Wentworth, Esq., Sir "SVilliam Pilkington, 
bart., and Jose Luis Fernandez, the miller. The defend- 
ants were William Ingham, Charles Adams, and Joseph 
Smith, Esqrs., of Ossett. The places which were included 



324 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1826. 

in the soke by the plaintiffs vv^ere Horhury, Ossett-cum- 
Gawthorpe, Alverthorpe-cum-Thornes, Wakefield, Stanley- 
cum-Wrenthorp, Sandal, Criggleston, and New-miller dam, 
the inhabitants of which places were compelled to grind 
their corn, whether for their own consumption or as an 
article of trade, at the soke mills. The soke has since been 
purchased by the inhabitants of V/akefield, for which rates 
have been laid. 

April. Sarah Baker, of Somerton, Oxfordshire, widow, 
died this month, aged 108 years. She officiated for many 
•years as parish clerk, and when 99 years of age reaped in 

the fields for a whole day. On levelliog- a piece of 

ground near Fishergate bar, for the new cattle market, at 
York, many relics of mortality were exposed, it having 
been formerly the site of All Saint's church, an ancient 
rectory, given by William Eufus to the abbess and convent 
of Whitby, on condition that the monks there should pray 
for him and his heirs. The expense of the land, pens, and 
buildings of this new and commodious market-place, was 
^£8,400. The tolls were soon after let for £130 per annum. 

May 1st. In the afternoon of this day, a meeting of un- 
employed workmen took place on Fairweather green, near 
Bradford. The number of persons assembled was about 
2.50, who, after consulting together for some time, pro- 
ceeded at five o'clock in the afternoon, to the mill of Messrs. 
Horsfall, situate at North Wing, near the old church, Brad- 
ford, which contained a number of power-looms for weaving 
stuffs, and commenced an attack upon the mill, but without 
doing any mischief, except breaking the windows. They 
then proceeded to Bradford moor, about a mile on the Leeds 
road, where they vv ere joined by about 200 more, and, with 
this reinforcement, they returned to the mill, and made a 
second attack between eight and nine o'clock; but the riot 
act being read, the mob after some time separated. This 
was on Monday, and all remained quiet until Wednesday, 
when another meeting v^as held on Fairweather green, far 
more numerous than that on Monday, and, after forming in 
several groups till about twenty minutes past three, they 
again moved in a body to Messrs. Horsfall's mill, where 
they arrived a little before four o'clock. . They began 
throwing stones as before; the squares which were broken 
on Monday, about 240 in number, had since been glazed. 
They continued the attack half an hour, when they had 
completely demolished three of the windows, staunchcons, 
frames, and everything connected with them. But on 
Tuesday, iron bars had been fixed in front of the low win- 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 325 

1826. 

dows, and as the doors were secured by three inch planks, 
it was next to impossible to force an entrance. At half- 
past four, colonel Plumbe Tempest, accompanied by a num- 
ber of special constables, stood on the ground adjoining- 
the mill, and read the riot act. The mob still showed no 
disposition to disperse, but continued throwing stones. All 
other efforts hitherto adopted proving unavailing, and the 
mob hnving Hred a pistol into the mill, the persons who 
were defending it, amounting to about forty, fired from 
twenty to thirty shots upon the mob, by which two persons 
were killed, viz., Jonas Barstow, of Queen's head, aged 18 
years, and Edward Fearnley, of Bradford, a boy 13 years 
old; and a considerable number vrere wounded. The mob 
soon after dispersed. Two of the rioters were sent to 
York castle. 

The first stone of the Leeds Commercial Buildings was 
laid May 18th, this year, by Lepton Dobson, Esq. This 
noble and elegant structure is situated at the junction of 
Park-row, called Quebec, and the end of Boar-lane, called 
West-bar, and was opened October 12th 1S29 : the site is 
most eligible, fronting the west entrance into the town. 
The building stands perfectly isolated, being surrounded 
by streets, excepting the back, which overlooks the burial 
ground of Mill-hill chapel. The style of architecture is 
Grecian — the plan a parallelogram, with the south-westeru 
corner rounded off, and formed into a spacious and elegant 
circular portico. The building presents six different sides, 
or facades, of unequal length ; the one towards Park-row 
has two, and that towards "West-bar four recessed fluted 
columns. The row of columns of the portico facade or 
principal entrance, adjoins and connects the two preceding, 
but recedes a little. There are five openings, and as many 
flights of steps, on which stand four columns, with appro- 
priate autse supporting the sweep of the circular entab- 
lature, which is surmounted in the centre by a clock, and 
in the rear of it is an elevated substruction. The columns 
of the portico, and the two facades named, are fluted and 
upwards of four feet in diameter at the base of the shafts, 
and nearly forty feet in height, from the top of the base- 
ment on which they stand, to the safiet of the architrave 
of the entablature which is supported by them. Over the 
entablature, which completely environs the building, an 
attic parapet wall, with suitable pilasters, is erected. This 
lofty pile of buildings is overtopped by a circular tower, 
with a finial ornament of scrolls and honeysuckles, sur- 
mounted by a cornice, which, when viewed from a distance, 

28 



326 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1826. 

has an iinposing' effect. The interior is in perfect keeping 
v/ith the exterior. The ilrBt apartment is the vestibule, 
beyond which, and separated from it by a serpen of Ionic 
columns, is the saloon of the grand staircase, an entire 
circle, thirty four feet six inches in diameter, and above 
sixty feet to the top of the dome. At the bottom of the 
staircase, on each side, are two lofty ornamental can- 
delabra, from which a rich palisading, surmounted by a 
broad mahogany hand-rail, lences the ends of the steps 
and landings. Tlie stairs branch right and left to the top 
of a broad landing, communicating with another saloon, 
and separated by a screen or Corinthian columns. The 
upper part of the staircae^e is decorated with tvt^enty 
Corinthian columns, recessed, supporting an enriched en- 
tablature of the same order, and the panelled dome. A 
cupola crowns the dome, glazed with stained glass. In 
the intercolumniations on the wall are niches, eacli sur- 
mounted by a Avreath. This staircase has a grand effect. 
On the ground floor, to the right of the entrance, is the 
news, or reading-room. It is sixty-live feet long, thirty- 
three feet six inches wide, and twenty-five feet high, and 
is divided longitudinally into three aisles, by two rows of 
twelve Corinthian columns. The walls have a similar 
number of corresponding pilasters and niches ; windows, 
doors, or fire-places, are placed in the intercolumniations, 
and the ceiling is tastefully ornamented. The room im- 
mediately over the news-room is of precisely similar 
dimensions, but undivided by rows of columns. The walls 
are decorated with coupled auta3, which supports a rich 
entablature, aud a beautiful ceiling. Upon the opposite 
side of Ihe entrance is another large room, the walls 
decorated with pillars, which support an entablature, and 
a light arched ceiling, divided into compartments, and 
over this room is a similar one. There is attached to the 
news-room, a room for the superintendent, and a com- 
mittee-room. There are other rooms on the opposite side 
litted up v/ith great taste. The cellars form two ex- 
tensive ranges of wine vaults. The whole building covers 
an area of 1,324 square yards, and cost, with the ground, 
near £34,500. The architect was John Clark, Esq., of Edin- 
burgh. The upper story is occupied by the Leeds District 
Court of Bankruptcy ; the other as offices, chiefly by 
brokers and professional men. The subscription to the 
r.ews-room is 25s. per annum, and the subscriber has the 
liberty of introducing a stranger. Mr. Thomas Duncan is 
honorary secretary of the news-room. 



THE SURROUiS^DING DISTRICT. 327 

1826. 

The foui^.dation stone of the Bradford Dispensary was 
laid by the Rev. Henry Heap, vicar, ou the 29th of May, 
in this year. 

The tirst sfone of tlie Leeds Corn Exchange, top of Brig- 
gate, was laid in a private manner, by ->Ir. John Cawood, on 
the 3lst May, on the site of an ancieiit chantry, siupposed to 
have been founded about 147^ ; thar of tiic west wing on the 
4th of January, 1S27; and rhat of the principal wing^vas laid 
wi(h great ceremony on the 27th of August, in the same 
year. The structure is of stone. The lower story of the 
front is rusticated; and above rise tvvo Ionic columns, 
supporting an entablature and pediment. Between the 
columns is a niche, in which is placed a well-executed 
marble statue of (pieen Anne, by Carpenter, of London. 
Above the statue is a clock, and on tlie roof is a small 
cupola for the bell. The front of the building is occupied 
by shops, with dwelling-houses attached. At the side is 
a court with a piazza, where the dealers exhibit their 
samples and conduct their sales. 'Ihcre is likewise an 
excellent hotel for their accommodation. The market is 
open from eleven to one o'clock every Tuesday, The 
building cost £12,500. 

On June 21st, for the first time, four knights of the shire 
were elected at York, as members of parliament for York- 
shire, viz., lord Milton, the lion. \Vm. Buncombe, John 
Marshall, Esep, and Richard Fountayne Wilson, Esq. Five 
candidates were nominated by the high shi^'rilr, and a poll 
was confidently ex])ected, but previous to the day of elec- 
tion, Eichard Bethell, Esq., withdrew iiis name- Although 
there was no contest, the expenses of the four candidates 
amounted to £150.000. 

June 2Srli. In this year, one of the most severe thunder 
storms ever remembered, })revailed in the neighbourhood 
of York. At Popjiletou, to the west of that city, hail- 
stones fell in great abundance, and of unusual dimensions, 
some measuring five inches in circumference. Several in- 
habitants had every square of glass in the premises broken, 
and many of the gardens were laid waste by the storm. 
Near Tadcaster bar, on the York road, a man, by trade a 
wire worker, was struck by the lightning, and killed on 
the s{)ot. During the same storm, a young woman was 
killed by the electric fluid, whilst Avorking in a hay field 
near Wefherby. The thermometer was at S^f° on Saturday 
and Sunday in the shade, and in the sun at 124^. Such was 
the drought and sultriness of the weather, that even in the 
midst of the hay harvest prayers were offered up in the 



328 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1826. 

churches and other places of worship for rain. In the month 
of Jul}-- the extensive moors in the West-Riding of York- 
shire were in a state of conflagration, which not only- 
spread over a wide extent of surface, consuming the moss, 
but also burnt to a great depth, igniting the peat under- 
neath. Hawksworth moor was entirely consumed; on 
Ilkley moor five hundred acres were burnt; Thornton 
moor was entirely destroyed; Burley moor was on tire. 
With the destruction of Thornton moor is to be enumer- 
ated the loss of all the young plantations, which cost up- 
wards of £2,000. Oaksworth moor was entirely burnt; 
and Ovenden moor, Holme moss, Burnsall fell, also Hebden, 
Grassington, Rombalds, and Harden moors were on fire. 
The flames and smwke together presented an imposing and 
formidable appearance from high grounds, whence a view 
of them might be obtained. 

John Flaxman, a colebrated sculptor, was born at York, 
in 1755, and from IS 10 till his death, was professor in the 
royal academy. He received his education partly from his 
father, vi^ho Avas a sculptor, and partly in the academy. 
He afterwards visited Italy, where he studied I'rom 1787-^4. 
He composed several works daring that period, and among 
them his celebrated illustrations to Homer, Dante, and 
Aeschylus, wliich procured him admission to the academy 
of Florence and Carrara. His most famous sculptures in 
England are the monument of lord Mansfield in West- 
minster abbey, a model of the shield of Achilles, according 
to Homer, a monument to the poet Collins, and one of Miss 
Cromwell, in Chichester cathedral, one of the countess 
Spencer, at Brington, a monumental bas-relief to the 
memor}'' of his beloved pupil Thomas Hayley, at Eartham, 
a monument in the Parish church, of Leeds, to the memory 
of two townsmen viz., captain Yfalker and captain 
Beckett, who fell at the battle of Talavera, and a mon- 
ument to the Baring family at Micheldever. Flaxman 
died in 1826, six years after his wife, Anne Denham, to 
whose ecclesiastical taste he was much indebted. 

.July 12th. J. A. Stuart Wortley, Esq., of Wortley hall, 
near Peniston, was raised to the peerage by the title of 
Baron Wharnclifi'e, previous to which he had been many 
years member ot parliament for Yorkshire. 

On the ISth of September, in this year, at his seat, 
Gledhow, near Leeds, died Sir John Beckett, Bart, aged 
84 years. He was born in 1743, and in 1774 married 
Mary, third daughter of Dr. Christopher Wilson, bishop 
of Bristol, grandfather of R. F. Wilson, Esq., and had 



THE SURRODKDllN[G DISTRICT. 329 

1826.-182/. 

by her eight sous and three daughters. Sir John was 
created a baronet in iS13, was twice mayor of Leeds, 
ana as a magis^.tratc for that borough and the West- 
Riding, he was distinguished for legal knowledge and 
impartiality: to whose memory aiid that of lady Beckett, 
there is a tablet erected iu the Leeds parish church, 
situated on the north-east side of the interior. He was 
succeeded in his titles by his son, the late right hon. 
Sir John Beckett, ISl.F., w^ho married lady Anne Lowther, 
third daughter of the earl of Lonsdale. 

On the night of November ISlh, the dyehouse of 
Messrs. Halliley, Son, and Brook, of Dewsbiiry, was 
discovered to be in tiames by the watchman, Avho im- 
mediately alarmed William Hanson, one of the company's 
overlookers, a faithful servant, who had been in their 
employ thirty-three years. V\''hen poor Hanson arrived, 
and saw the building in liames, his feelings were so 
deeply affected, that he fell to the ground, and instantly 
expired. The sequel of this mournful occurrence wai3 
still more affecting, for, on the following day, whilst 
Mr. Wigglesworth, the coroner, v»^as preparing for an 
inquest on the body of Hanson, he was suddenly seized 
with a lit or apoplexy, and fell, in the presence of the 
jury, into the arms of Mr. Brooks, and died in a few 
hours afterwards. 

1S27. January oth, died his royal highness Frederick, 

duke of York, iu his 64(:h year. February 3rd, was 

laid, by Dr. Outhwaite, the lirst stone of the Bradford 
Exchange Buildings, opposite the Piece hall. 

Feb. 9th, died Dr. Pelham, the bisiiop of Lincoln, in 
consequence of a cold caught v/hile attending the duke 

of York's funeral. March 4th. A lire broke out in 

the Flax mill of J^.Ir. Bowes, iu the Steander, Leeds : 

damage about ,£1,200. Mar. l/'th. In taking down 

the premises adjoining the Union inn, Ivegate, Bradford, 
a cannon ball was found in the roof, an eight pounder, sup- 
posed to have been shot from one of .the field pieces 
used by the army of the earl of Newcastle, in the siege 

of 1643. June ISth. The first stone of the Hudders- 

field Joint Stock Bank was laid by B. H. Allen, Esq. 

June 13th, a large portion of Mr. Hammond's Flax 
mill, at the Bank, in Leeds, was destroyed by fire. 

Iu July, an uncommon instance of long continued sleep 
occurred at Woodbouse, near Leeds, where Elizabetli 
Armitage, spinster, aged 69, suddenly fell into a state 
of lethargic stupor, in which she continued without 



330 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1827. 

■uttering' a word-, receiving any food, or showiiig any 
signs of life, except breathing, for the space of eight 
days, when she expired without a struggle. For some 
months previous, she had been gradually declining, and 

had taken very little sustenance. July 4th, For some 

weeks previous to this time indications of a fire beneath 
the surface of the ground, had been observed in St. 
Peter's-square, in Leeds; and on this day, the smoke 
issued in such quantities as to create considerable 
alarm in the neighbourhood. An excavation being made 
to discover the cause of this extraordinary phenomenon, 
a large body of fire was found, which on the accession 
of air, burst into a vivid flame. Engines were procured, 
and a quantity of water thrown into the excavation, 
which for the time appeared to have extinguished the 
fire; but on the two following days, the smoke was 
seen to issue in various places, in very considerable 
quantities, when a number of excavators were employed 
to remove the earth, and ascertain the cause, M^hich 
was discovered to proceed from the ignition of a bed 
of coal, about two feet in thickness, and only five feet 
beneath the surface of the ground; a considerable 
portion ol which was reduced to ashes. The ignition 
of the coal was produced by the furnace of a pipe- 
maker, which had been erected immediately over it, 
which was cut out, and the space filled up with gravel, 
well saturated with water. 

July 17th. As Jonathan Wilson was looking at the 
lion Wallace, in Wombwell's menagerie, then at Leeds, 
he incautiously placed his hand upon the bottom of the 
den, when the ferocious animal made a spring at him, 
and with his claws drew the unfortunate man's arm 
against the grate, inflicting upon it with his fangs 
several dreadful wounds, of which he died at the in- 
firmary, by mortification, eight days afterwards. 

The large scribbling mill, at Bramley, Hough-end, 

was burnt down August 1. On Monday, Aug. 6th, 

a fortnight sheep and cattle fair was held in the free 
market, at Leeds ; but on October 10th the day was 

changed to Wednesday. August Sth, died the right 

hon. George Canning, first lord of the treasur}', and 
chancellor of the exchequer, which elevated situation 
he had held onl}'' four months. He was born on the 
11th of April, 1770, and was buried in Westminster 
abbey, on Thursday, the 10th of August, this year. He 
was followed to the grave by the dukes of Clarence 



THE SCTRRODNDING DISTRICT. 331 

1827. 

and Sussex, all the cabinet ministers, marquis Clan- 

ricarde, the dukes of Portland, Devonshire, &c., &c. 

Meetings were held in Leeds, Fiiverpool, Manchester, 

Birmingham, &c., to pay tributes of respect to his 

memory. 

August 23rd, the Leeds Branch Bank of England was 
opened under the management of Thomas Bischoff, Esq. 
The business of the bank was for several years transacted 
in the premises situate in Bank-street, now occupied as 
offices by Mr. Ward, solicitor; but now (1S59) carried on 
in a plain building, IS, Albion-street, which was formerly 
occupied by Thomas Tennant, Escj. C. E. Mac Carthy, Esq., 

is agent. On September 24th, his grace, Arthur, duke 

of ^Vellington, the hero of "Waterloo, made his public 
entry into the city of York, preceded by a grand pro- 
cession of the lord m.ayor, corporation, and a great number 
of nobility and gentry. His grace visited many other 
places in the north of England, and was received with the 
greatest enthusiasm a grateful people could evince for the 
eminent military services he had rendered his country. 

September 29th, a lire broke out in the extensive Cotton- 
mill of Messrs. Jonas Brooke and Brothers, at Meltham, 
near Huddersfield. — Same day, died at the advanced age 

of 100 years, Mrs. Eve Randall, of Leeds. October 1st, 

Mr. Saml. Lumb, sen. of Sowerby, S3 years of age, was 
married at Halitax, to Mrs. Rachel Heap, to whom he had 
been previously married about 25 years before. Her first 
husband had entered into the army, and was at the time 
of her first marriage with Mr. Lumb, supposed to be dead. 
In a few years, however, he returned, and demanded his 
Vv'ife, whom he found living with IMr. Lumb, and by whom 
she had three children. But, after some negociation, Heap 
agreed to sell her, and Mr. Lumb bo'jght her, and she was 
actually delivered to him in a halter, at Halifax cross. At 
her last marriage she was given awa}^ at the altar, by Mr. 
Lumb's grandson. Her first husband had died the April 

before. October 6th, the Leeds central market was 

opened, with great spirit and animation, a band of music 
enlivened the crowded scene. 

The fir.^t Leeds quarterly leather fair was held October 

17th, in the South market. October 15th, was laid 

the first stone of the new church at South Crossland, on 
ground given by Richard Henry Beaumont, Esq. The struc- 
ture was finished in July, 1829. On October 24th, early 

in the morning, Mr. James Cordingley, a tanner, of Little 
Horton, near Bradford, was found in his yard nearly dead, 



332 ANNAfiS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

I827. 

having been worried b}^ two dogs, Vv^hicli he kept for 

the protection of his jjropert}'- ; his arm was nearly severed 

from his body, and his throat dreadtully lacerated, vvith 

the windpipe partly torn out ; he expired soon after he was 

found. October 27th, tv/omen in attempting- to cross 

the river Aire in a boat, near Castleford, were hurried 
away bj'' the stream over the middle-dam, when, probably 
under the influence of panic, they leaped out of tiie boat, 
and were both unfortunately drowned. 

The Yorkshire Philosophical Society was founded in the 
year 1822. Having obtained a grant from the crown of 
three acres of ground on the Manor Shore, comprising the 
site of the ruins of the abbey (the preservation of these in- 
teresting relics of antiquity from further decay being one 
part of their design,) this societ}'" erected its museum in 
the centre between them and the Eoman multangular 
tower. The foundation stone was laid on the 24th of 
October, 1S27, by the archbishop of York, and the building 
was opened on February 2iid, 1830. The principal fronts 
which looks towards the river, is nearly 20[> feet in length, 
of pure Doric architecture, and has a central portico, con- 
sisting of a pediment, supported on four columns, resting 
upon a basement of three steps. The internal arrange- 
ments consist of an entrance hall, 29 feet by IS ; a theatre 
or lecture room, 44 feet by 35; a library, 31 feet 9 in. by 
IS feet 6 in.; a council room, and various apartments for 
the extensive collections of specimens in natural history, 
antiquities, &c., and also a dwelling-house for the sub- 
curalor, Mr. H. Baines. The main design was furnished 
by that eminent architect, William Wilkins, Esq , R.A.,- 
and the interior portions have been principally constructed 
under the superintendence of Mr. Sharp and Mr. Pritchett, 
of York. Since tlic bequest of £10,000 to this institutioa 
by the late Dr. Beck with, wlio, during his lifetime Vv^as 
one of its warmest supporters, the botanical garden has 
undergone the most extensive alterations and improve- 
ment, and is now carried down to the promenade on the 
river side; a h3use also for the sub -curator has been 
erected at the back of the museum, adjoining to, and 
corresponding with, the architecture of the Manor house, 
besides various other improvements. The geological col- 
lection was under the care of professor Phillips, and is 
considered one of the best in the kingdom, containing up- 
wards of 10,000 specimens of British organic remains, 
arranged in the order of their position in the earth. The 
collection of minerals is classed according to their chemical 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 333 

1827. 

relations, and contains above 2,000 specimens. Those ot 
ornithology and zoology are also very extensive ; as is also, 
that of antiquities, in the Hospitium, containing most of 
the ancient British, Iloman, and Anglo-Saxon remains 
that have been found in York and the neighbourhood. A 
few yards in front of the Museum stands a small observa- 
tory, built in lS3;i. 

The Iloman multangular tower is an interesting relic of 
ancient Eboracum, and is situated on the right-hand side 
of the garden, immediately on the entrance tlirough the 
handsome Doric lodge gateway. Re-?pecting this tower, 
the Rev. C. Wellbeloved, who has long paid great attention 
to the antiquities of this locality, observes, that " the 
wall proceeding i'rom it in a south-east direction, is of 
such a nature that every intelligent antiquary who has in- 
spected it, is of opinion that it was an angle of the wall 
of the ancient Eboracum. The discoveries made at different 
times of the foundatinn of the ancient wall, and of the 
remains of towers in connexion with this tower, leave no 
doubt as to the foundation of the wall of Eboracum, at 
least on one side of the river. English coins of various 
dates were found in the upper part of this tower; and 
when the accumulation of rubbish, which had been col- 
lecting for ages, was cleared away, many Romau coins 
were found in the bottom." 

The ruins of St. Mary's abbey are situated on the 
opposite side of the museum to the Roman multangular 
tower ; the principal ruin consisting apparently of the 
church of this once flourishing monastic establishment; 
one side of which having eight light gothic arches for 
windows, with carved capitals, and a small portion of 
the clustered columns of each end, noAv only remains. 
In building the museum, extensive excavations were 
made, and the foundations of the abbey exp)Osed to 
view, when they were carefully measured, and as- 
certained to be 371 feet in length, and 60 feet in breadth. 
A little to the east of this ruin is a small court, sur- 
rounded by a wall built of broken columns, capitals, 
and stones, bearing marks of fire, and supposed to be 
part of the former abbey, which perished in the ex- 
tensive conflagration of 1137- Over the entrance to 
this court is a mutilated tombstone, with the inscrip- 
tion now scarcely legible : — hic iacet : stepaxo ab. b. ispx., 
supposed to have covered the tomb of the first abbot, 
vStephen de Whitby, who died in 1112. Nearer to the 
Manor house (the ancient building at the back of the 



334 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1827. 

museum) stood tlie domestic ofnces of the abbey, where 
Htill remain two vaults, 129 feet long, 23 feet wide, and 
seven leet high; each vault containing a well of ex- 
cellent water. Over these Avere the kitchens, and part 
of the huge fire-places are still preserved. Nearer to 
the river stands the HospKium of the abbey, which ha» 
recently been repaired. The ancient entrance to the 
abbey and its grounds was through the old archway in 
Marygate, adjoining wliich is a massive old building, 
formerly the prison of tlie abbot's jurisdiction, but now 
litted up as a dwelling-house. 

The Manor house was built by order of Henry YIII.,, 
after the dissolution of St. Mary's abbey, as already 
noticed. It was then called the king's manor, and that 
monarch resided ia it for a few days in the year 1541; 
afterwards it was used as the residence of the lords 
president of the north, James I. (the arms of this 
monarch are placed over the entrance to the interior 
court) had it again converted into a regal palace, and 
with his queen resided here in 1603. Here, in 1633, 
Charles I. was crowned ; and that unfortunate prince, 
after he commenced his disputes with the parliament,, 
retired to this city, and here assembled those of the 
lords and commons who were favourable to his interest. 
In 1696 a royal mint Avas established in it; the coins 
struck at it bear a Y under the king's head. The 
building is now used for the Yorkshire school for the 
blirid, an excellent and benevolent institution founded 
in 1833, as an appropriate public testimonial to the 
memory of William Wilberforce, Esq., (the persevering 
and successful advocate of the rights of the oppressed 
Negro race), who had represented the county of York 
in six successive parliaments. The funds were raised 
by public subscription; and in 1834 the governors ob- 
tained a lease of the manor house and grounds for a. 
terra of 99 years, at a yearly rent of £115. Children 
of both sexes are admitted; and since it was opened 
for the reception of pupils in October, 1835, it has con- 
tinued in a prosperous state. Besides being instructed 
in reading, arithmetic, history, music, &c., the boys are 
taught some branches of useful haridicraft, as weaving,, 
basket-making, Ike, and the girls, knitting and needle- 
work. 

Nov. 22nd. The True Blue coach, returning from Wake- 
field to Leeds, was overturned at Bell-hili, and three per- 
sons died by the accident, viz., William Heriield, the driver,. 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 335 

1827. 

killed on the spot, r»Ir. Charles Cope, of Leeds, and Mr. 
James Burrell, of Arkendale, who died soon after. 

On the night of December 1st, a fatal affray occurred in 
Kirklees park, between Sir George Armitage's gamekeepers 
and watchers and a body of poachers. Uriah Womersley, 
one of the watchers, Avas killed by a bludgeon, which frac- 
tured his skull, and several of his party were severely 
■wounded by these desperadoes, six of whom were 
secured, and taken to the hall, and one of those 
who escaped died of his wounds soon aiter the con- 
flict. Six of the poachers AA-ere tried at the ensuing assizes, 
and were acquitted of murder; five of them after\^ards 
pleaded guilty to the charge of being out armed at night, 
with the intent to kill game, and were sentenced to be 

transported seven years. Dec. 7(h. The foundation 

stone of the beautiful new church, at Oulton, near Leeds, 
was laid by John Blayds, Esq., of Leeds and Oulton, a\ ho 
muniticently bequeathed the funds necessary for building 
and endowing the edifice, Avhich is dedicated to St. John, 
and erected from plans by Rickman and Hutchinson, archi- 
tects. Earl}'- in the morning of December IStli, Kirk- 
stall abbey mills Avere destroyed by a fire, Avhich in the 
short space of one hour consumed propert}"- Avorth £] 2,000. 
The building belonged to Sir Sandford Graham, bart., and 
the occupants Avere Messrs. O. Willans and Son, cloth 

manufacturers, of Leeds. Calvert's museum AA^as 

opened in October this year, at No. 10, Commercial-street, 
and contained upAA-ards of 15,000 specimens in natural 
history, &c. It has ceased to exist some years ago. 

The Protestant Methodists, or as they are uoav called the 
Asscciation of Wesleyan ISIethodists ; or United Free Church 
(Avith whom the Y/esleyan reformers have recently amal- 
gamated,) sejjarated from the "SVesleyans in 1S27. It seem.a 
that soon after the erection of Brunswick chapel in Leeds, 
in 1S25, a ])roject was formed of introducing an organ into 
that splendid place of worship. When this project was 
matured, a strong protest against it, signed by sixiy local 
preachers, was presented to the proper quarter. The im- 
mediate cause of the separation Avas no doubt the suspen- 
sion of one of the local preachers for three months, on 
account of his activity in resisting the introOuction of the 
obnoxious instrument. His companions and friends made 
common cause with him; they resolved, in the Avords of 
their historian, "to consider the sentence of the suspended 
individual their sentence, and his pujiishment their punish- 
ment ; and they determined that they Avould preach no 



336 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YOBK, AND 

1827.-1828. 

more in the Conference connexion until the sentence was 
revoked, or the period of punishment terminated." No 
satisfactory agreement having been made, the preachers 
and a very great number of members of the society, per- 
manently left the Wesleyan Methodists. They soon be- 
came regularly organized ; the Stone chapel in Leeds, 
formerly occupied by tlie Baptists, was taken for their use, 
and they speedily commenced the erection of a spacious 
new chapel, in Caroline-street, called Park chapel. This 
religious body have the following places of worship in Leeds, 
viz.: — Lady Lane chapel; the Tabernacle, Meadow-lane; 
Bethel chapel; Woodhouse chapel, St. Mark's-street; 
Hunslet chapeljWilson-street ; also in the principal villages 
in the vicinity. Previous to the amalgamation, the Wes- 
leyan Reformers had places of worship in Sweet-street, 
Wilson-street, Woodhouse-Carr, and Stock Exchange, 
Albion-street. 

Lockwood Spa, near Huddersfield, was erected in 1827, 
in a deep]}^ sequestered spot, sheltered by a lofty and well- 
wooded ridge on the east side of the river, is a handsome 
range of building, comprising warm, tepid, vapour, cold, 
and shower baths, with a large swimming bath, and every 
requisite arrangement for the internal and external use of 
the water, which issues from a spring, and is pumped into 
the baths by a steam-engine. The water, which has a 
strong sulphureous smell and taste, contains a small pro- 
portion of carbonate of lime and sulphate of magnesia, 
with thirty-five parts of carburetted, and seventeen of sul- 
phuretted hydrogen, seven of carbonic acid, and forty- 
one of azotic gas. 

1828. Jan. 23rd, some workmen engaged in widening the 
road in Clegg's-lane, Huddersfield, found near the surface 
a bayonet, and on the following day a quantity of human 
bones. A human skull was discovered in the year 1816, 

near the same place, In January, an ornament of red 

leather, resembling a bunch of lotus flowers, was found 
among the bandages of the mummy, presented to the philo- 
sophical society of Leeds, by the late John Blayds, Esq. 
The parts representing the half expanded calices of the 
flowers, are stamped with hieroglyphic characters, which 
determine the date of this very interesting monument of 

antiquity. (See Annals, page 275). Feb. 9th. Mr. 

George Hammond's Flax mill, at the Bank, Leeds, was 
totally destroyed by fire : damage about £8,000. 

Feb. 21st. The Hanover arms, Leeds, was entirely de- 
stroyed by fire, not a vestige of any kind of property could 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 337 

182S. 

"be saved. Mar. 5th. An extraordinary spring tide in 

the Thames did considerable damage to the contiguous 
wharfs, &c. In the year 123.5 it rose so high, that the 
lawyers ^vere brought out of Westminster hall in boats. 
In 1489, the conservation of the Thames was given to the 
lord mayors of London. In the summer of 1592, its channel 
M-as so shallow, that a man might ride over it near London 
bridge. On the 22nd of March, 1CS2, it ebbed and flowed 
three times in four hours. On November 4th, 1777, it ebbed 
and flowed twice in three hours, 

April 2nd. William and John Dyon, father and son, were 
executed at "^'ork, for the murder of John Dyon, sen., 
brother to William. The body of John Dyon was taken to 
Leeds for dissection, and on the following day Mas ex- 
hibited to the public ; about 2,000 persons witnessed the 
sad spectacle. On the 30tli of April, three men, named 
Marrott, Wilkinson, and Harrison, were executed at the 

same place, for horse stealing. Mar. 25th. The money 

collected in England, for the year ending at this date, for 
the relief of the poor, amounted to £7,391,528; of this 
sum, £759,005 was collected in the county of Middlesex; 
in Yorkshire, £556,999; and in Lancashire, £496,776. 

The first stone of St. John's church, in Golcar, was laid 
March ISth, by the Rev. James Clarke Franks, vicar of 

Huddersfield. March 28th, was opened a new branch 

canal, from Jr^alterhebble to Halifax. 

Mar. 30th. About two o'clock in the morning, a most 
dreadful and destructive fire, supposed to be the work of 
an incendiary, broke out in the extensive premises of 
Messrs. Joshua Lockwood and Co., manufacturers of cotton 
and woollen cords, in Manchester-street, Huddersfield, and 
the devouring element raged with such fury, that in about 
twenty minutes the roof of the principal mill fell in, and 
shortl}^ after all the floors in succession; the whole factory, 
six stories high, then became one mass of fire, and the 
flames rose perpendicularly to such a height, as to be seen 
by all the surrounding country to a great distance. Fortu- 
nately, by dint of unremitting exertions, the remaining 
parts of the premises were preserved. This was the most 
dreadful conflagration which had happened in the town or 
neighbourhood of Huddersfield for many years. The loss 
sustained was about £10,000, and no part of the premises 

was insured. At the Haigh Park races, in April, an 

attempt was made to revive the ancient game of wrestling, 
which, though an old British sport, had long been neglected 
in Yorkshire. The wrestling prizes contended for were 

29 



338 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1828. 

£30, £20, £15, £10, £7, and £5, which were awarded to 

the men of Devonshire, except £1 Is. to Finney, an 

Hihernian. July 7th. The first stone of the church 

dedicated to St. Stephen, at Kirkstall, was laid by the vicar 
of Leeds. R. D. Chantrell was the architect. It is situated 
on an eminence, and is in the early English style, with a 
tower, surmounted by a lofty spire. It cost about £3,500. 
The interior is handsomely arranged, and contains 1,000 
sittings, of which 500 are free. The site of the church and 
church-yard, which is planted with trees, comprising an 
area of two acres, was given by the earl of Cardigan. 
There is also a beautiful parsonage corresponding in style 
with the church, and two parochial schools in which 400 
children receive instruction. The Rev. T. S. Bowers is the 
incumbent. 

A monument executed by J. Gott, Esq., to the memory 
of colonel Lloyd, was erected in the Leeds parish church 
in March, 1834. It is constructed of beautiful white marble, 
and the inscription, of which the folio ^viag is a copy, is 
surmounted by an admirable bust of the deceased: — 

" To the memory of Thomas Lloyd^ Esquire. In his 
character ivere eminently disjjlayed loyalty to the king, zeal for 
his country^ and all the social virtues ivhich mark the English 
(jenthman. He was twice called hy the general voice of the 
inhabitants of this borough to the important trust of lieutenant- 
colonel commandant of the Leeds volunteer infantry. First 
in the year 1794, for the protection of their property, en- 
dangered by the spread of anti-social and revolutionary 
principles. Secondly in the year 1803, /or the preservation of 
their homes and liberties, under the menace of foreign invasion. 
By military ardour and firmness, tempered with discretion., 
and by kind offices of friendship and hospitality he won the 
Ojffection of his corps, and %vas honoured tvith several valuable 
tokens of their esteem, as well as with other testimonies of public 
approbation. He contributed greatly to rouse that spirit of 
loyalty and patriotic devotion, which secured domestic ordevy 
and finally achieved the country'' s triumph over her foreign 
foes. He died at Kingthorpe house, near Pickering, the 7th 
day of April, A.b., 1S28, aged 77 years. For a memorial of 
their high regard, and to hand down his bright example to 
future ages, some of his surviving volunteers and friends have 
erected this monument.'''' 

July 29th. The ancient and beautiful mansion in Bram- 
liam park, the seat of George Lane Fox, Esq., was de- 
stroyed by fire, with most of its costly furniture, plate, and 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 339 

1828. 

paintings. The house was built by the first lord Bingley, 

in the reign of queen Anne. Aug. 13th. Mr. Green, 

the aeronaut, ascended in his balloon from Keighley, ac- 
companied by jMr. Lawson, of that place. They alighted 

«afely near Colne, in Lancashire. August 27th. Mr. 

Green, accompanied by his brother, ascended from Bradford, 

and alighted near Otiey. Sept. 4th. The first stone oi" 

Emanuel church, at Lockv>ood, Avaslaid. October 3rd 

and 13th, Mr. Green made his sixty-fifth and sixty-sixth 
ascents, at Huddersfield. On the latter day, the balloon, 
after being inflated at the gas works, was attached to a 
carriage, and drawn into the Market- place, ^vhere most of 
the population of the town and neighbourhood assembled 
to witness the novel siglit. Mr. Green was accompanied 
in his ascent b}' a gentleman of the town, and after re- 
maining t wenty-iour minutes in the air, descended at Up]:!er 

Bagden. The third Yorkshire Musical Festival was 

commenced September "iord. 

In November were laid the first stones of St. Paul's and 

All Saint's churches, Iluddersiield. In December, public 

meetings w^ere held at Leeds and other towns in York- 
shire, as well as in all other counties, and petitions sent to 
parliament, both for and against Catholic emancipation. 

This year the external appearance of the York assembly 
rooms v/as greatly improved by the erection of a new 

facade, of polished freestone. May. 14th. Died in 

Bethlehem hospital, the celebrated Margaret Nicholson, 
who attempted the life of king George III. She had been 
confined in the above establishment forty-tvv'o years, and 
was insane during the whole of that period. She was 

supposed to be nearly 100 years of age. May 19th. 

Died at Wilsden, Joseph Pickles, in his 96th year. He left 
a surviving progeny of seven children, seventy-three grand 
children, 179 great grand children, and 50 great great grand 
children, in all 309, exclusive of 101 deceased. 

July 27th. In Mr. Green's stone quarry, at Marsh, South- 
owram. near Halifax, were found three horns petrified and 
embedded in the hag stone, quite perfect. When found 
they v/ere soit, but became hard by being exposed to the 
air. They Avere found in a bed of two and a half yards 
thick, having one yard above them, and one and a half 
yard below. They were about two feet long, and nine 
inches round in the thickest part, ringed from the point to 
the root, and grained lengthwise betv/een the rings, which 

were about one inch apart. It appears, by a police 

report published this year, by the House of Commons, that 



340 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1828. 

the committals to the borough gaol of Leeds, from the year 

1816 to 1827 were 17,463 persons, being an average of 1,455' 

per annum. —Sept. 19th. A mare, the property of Mr. 

Joseph Wallace, of Dewsbury, died suddenly. On opening 
her, four large stones were found in her body, one of which 
weighed 5}^ lbs., and was perfectly globular. The three 
others were o( a triangular shape; the angles were rounded 
as if b}'^ attrition and weighed together 4 lbs. 12 oz. 

October 25tli was the day fixed by the directors of the St. 
Catherine's dock company, London, for the opening of the 
dock, then completed. At a quarter before two o'clock, the 
noble ship Elizabeth, an East India free trader, made her 
majestic entry amidst a discharge of artillery, and universal 
English huzzahs ! This extensive undertaking was com- 
menced and completed in a very short space of time. 

Nov. 8th. A labourer, who was digging near Low moor, 
turned up a large quantity of ancient silver and copper 
coins. They all appeared to be of Roman origin, though 
struck in different provinces of the empire; some having 
Greek and others Egyptian characters mixed with the 
common Roman letter. They are principally of the a,ge of 

Julius and Augustus Caesar. Dec. 4th. Died, at Combe 

wood, the earl of Liverpool, late first lord of the treasury. 

Dec. 1st. Mr. Ramsbottom's cotton factory, at Hebden 
bridge, was destroyed by fire, when about 600 persons 
were thrown out of employment, and the loss was esti- 
mated at £12,000. Dec. 1.5th. An infant school was estab- 
lished at Huddersfield. Dec. 22nd. Died, at Holbeck, 

near Leeds, Betty Jackson, aged 106 years. She resided in 
that village all her life, and when in her twenty-third year 
accompanied the pack horses with rations to general Wade's 
army, lying at Tadcaster, on its route to Scotland, to 

oppose the rebels in 1745. The Test and Corporation 

act was repealed this year. The dissenters first separated 
from the church of England in 1571. 

The practice of " Burking," (called after the murderer 
Burke), or body snatching, to supply the hospitals with 
human bodies for dissection, was very common in various 
parts of the kingdom. All sorts of expedients were 
adopted to obtain bodies, which were sold at a price of 
sixteen guineas each; but a check was in some measure 
put to the trade by a startling disclosure in this year, 
which showed that a regular system of murder had been 
going on for some time, in order to supply subjects for the 
dissecting rooms. In the house of a man named Burke, 
in Edinburgn, the dead body of a woman, who had a few 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 341 

182S.-1829. 

hours before been in good health, was discovered, Burke 
himself confessed fifteen murders, which he and his ac- 
complice Hare, had perpetrated together. Their practice 
was to note helpless, half-witted, or unfriended per- 
sons in the streets, and invite them home, making- them 
first merry, and then stupidly drunk : and then suffocated 
them by covering the mouth and nose, and pressing upon 
the body. The murderer Burke v/as executed at Edin- 
burgh, on January 29 rh, 1S29. 

1S29. This year ^vas the centenary of Methodism, which 
was founded by the Rev. John Wesley, M.A., at Oxford, 
in 1729. 

Jan. 1st. A couple of the name of Heeson, resident at 
"Whitkirk, had their feelings greatly distressed by finding 
the grave of their newly-interred child opened, the body 
gone, and the empty coffin and shroud lelt in the adjacent 

lane by the sacrilegious depredators. On the lOth of 

January, Messrs. James Akroyd and Son's warehouse, at 
Brook-house, near Halifax, was destroyed by fire, together 
with about 2,000 pieces of worsted stuff, and a quantity 

of wool. On Jan. 13ih, another dreadful fire destroyed 

the extensive factory at Tameside, near Dobcross, except 

the outer walls. On the 14th of January, B. AVilson, 

Esq., laid the first stone of the nevv- church at Netberihong, 
of which Mr. Chantrell, of Leeds, was architect. 

Jan. A poor weaver named David Lindsey, residing in 
Manchester, fell heir to an estate of about i;3b0,(;00, by (he 
decease of his uncie, colonel Lindsey, of the Mount, near 
Cupar, Fife, in Scotland. When the letter arrived, an- 
nouncing David's windfall, and enclosing ^£150 to delray 
the expenses of his journej'-, with his wife and three 
children, to his country seat, he was sitting at breakfast 
of butterless bread and sugarless coffee. The demand by 
the jjostman of 4s. Dd., completely stunned David, for his 
whole stock did not amount to more than 2s. The letter 
would have been returned to the post office but for the 
arrival of a neighbour, who volunteered, after i'eeling that 
the letter contained "summut," to assist David in raising 
the wind. A pig was killed at Cooper bridge, belong- 
ing to Mr. John Howgatc, at the age of twenty-four >■. eeks, 
which weighed nineteen stones twenty- one pounds. 

In January, the workmen employed in excavating the 
foundation ol the York mnseum, on the Manor shore, near 
St. Mary's abbey, found seven antique statues, of a strong 
and robust appearance, and clad in antique drapery, which 
had been splendidly coloured and gilt. One of them re- 



342 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YOliK, AND 

1829. 

presents Moses, bearing the tables of stone (and the brazen 

serpent) with a beard, Avhich has been richly gilt : two of 

the others have books in their hands, and other two have 

lost their heads. They are all barefoot, and five of them 

are in a very perfect state. 

On the 2nd of February, in this year, Jonathan Martin, 
a religious fanatic, a native of Hexham, in Northumber- 
land, set fire to York minster, by which the wood work of 
the choir and its roof, with the organ, was completely 
destroyed. The clustered pillars being of magnesian lime- 
stone, were much injured ; as were also many of the 
tombs and monuments at the east end. Fortunately the 
stained glass of the east and other windows escaped such 
injury. Jonathan was apprenticed to a tanner, and 
was some time at sea, where his skull was fractured; 
but had for several years previous to his setting fire to the 
minster, obtained his livelihood by hawking a pamphlet, 
containing a narrative of his life. He alleged that he was 
prompted to set fire to the place by two dreams. He ac- 
complished his purpose by concealing himself in the min- 
ster during divine service, on Sunday, the 1st of February, 
having first provided himself with a razor, which he used 
as a steel, some tinder, matches, and a penny candle. This 
latter having burnt out before he had concluded his opera- 
tions, he procured a wax candle, which had been used the 
previous evening. He went to the belfrj'', where he struck 
a light. He then cut about ninety feet from the rope of 
the prayer bell, which he converted into a ladder, by tying 
knots at certain distances, and made use of it to obtain 
access to the interior of the choir. There he first cut 
away the gold fringe ornaments from the pulpit ; and the ' 
velvet from the archbishop's throne, and the dean's and 
precentor's seats. He next piled all the cushions, sur- 
plices, and books which he could get, in two heaps, one 
near the archbishop's throne, and the other near the organ, 
and set fire to them. He then made his escape by breaking 
one of the windows, (to which he ascended by means of 
the machine used for cleaning the minster), and letting 
himself down by the knotted rope. He took with him the 
gold fringe, velvet, and a small bible. The fire was dis- 
covered about seven o'clock in the morning, by one of the 
choristers, a lad named Swinbank, who saw smoke issuing 
from the roof; and although the most prompt assistance 
was given, the fire raged with great fury for several hour^B, 
but it was found impossible to save any part of the wooid 
work of that part of this noble edifice. The roof caught 



THE SUBROUNDING DISTRICT. 34^ 

1829. 

Mrefrom the organ ; and by half- past eleven o'clock, tho 
whole of the beautiful tabernacle work of carved oak, 
which adorned the prayer-house, the stalls, the pulpit, the 
cathedra, the line organ, and the roof, were destroyed; 
and nothing remained but a mass of burning ruins, which 
covered the floor, and transformed this part of the cathedral 
into a vast ignited furnace. The investigation set on 
foot into the causes of the fire fixed the guilt so 
clearly on Martin, that a reward of £100 was of- 
fered for his apprehension ; and he was taken the Friday 
following, at Codlaw-hill, the residence of a relation 
named Kell, about three miles from Hexham. He was 
tried at the assizes following, before Mr. Baron HuUock, and 
acquitted, after a trial of nine hours, on the ground of 
insanity. He was ordered to be confined in St. Luke's 
hospital, London, where he died in 1S3S. The damage 
done amounted to about £70,000, and nearly the whole of 
this sum was raised by public subscription. The govern- 
ment gave timber to the value of £5,000, and the stone 
w^s given by Sir E. M. Vavasour, bart., of Hazelwood. 
The magnificent organ was presented by the hon. and Rev. 
J. L. Saville (afterwards the earl of Scarborough); and the 
communion plate by his grace the archbishop. The minster 
was opened again for divine service on the 6th Ma3% 1S32. 

Feb. 3rd. The festival of bishop Blaise was celebrated 

at Wakefield. Feb. 21st. A fire broke out in the east; 

end of the attic story of one of Messrs. Marshall and Co.'s 
flax mills, in Water-lane, Holbeck. L^pwards of forty 
tons of flax was in the room where the fire originated ; 
a consi^^erable quantity of which was destroyed. 

March 6th. A large building, occupied as a wool ware- 
house and tobacco manufactory, in the Calls, at Leeds, and 
partly inhabited by Mr. John Wade, was destroyed by fire, 
and the corpse of his son was with difiiculty saved from 
the devouring element. 

Mar. 6th. Michael Thomas Sadler, Esq., of Leeds, was 

returned M.P. for Newark. Mar. 2 1st. Died, in the 92nd 

year of his age, John Sowden, of Brighouse, near Halifax^ 
He was born in the house where he died, and never lived 
one month in any other. He brought up to manhood in 
the same house ten children, six of whom were at this time 
living: and had forty-five grand children, and fifty-three 
great grand children, twenty-three of whom were married. 

April 8th. The town of Dewsbury was lighted with gas 

for the first time. April 13th. The Roman Catholic 

relief bill received the royal assent, thus setting at rest 



' 344 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1829. 

that question, which, for half a century, agitated the 
•empire, embarrassed the government, and divided the 

people. April 2Gth. A fire broke out in the south eiid 

of Ross mill, Brarale}^ belonging to Mr. James Hudson, 
-and damage was done to the amount of £4,000. 

During the month of April, a number of rare organic 
remains were found in a stone quarry, near Huddersfield. 
The most remarkable of these relics is that of a petrified 
fish, leseiabliug the anguilla species, and about three feet 
six inches in length ; near the head the circumference is 
about eleven inches, in the middle six inches and three 
quarters, and just above the tail, four inches. The singu- 
larity of this specimen is increased by the division of the 
whole length of the fish into joints about live or six inches 
from each other, resembling the joints of a branch or trunk 
of a tree. The exterior of each joint has also that sulcated 
appearance, so common in many of these lithophytic 
remains, and which has often been compared to oriental 
bamboo. The number of joints in the fish are nine, but in 
some of the smaller specimens, the exterior appearance is 
the same, though the joints are fewer. Along with these 
remains were collected some petrified shells, apparently 
of the muscle genus, and others more like oysters. These 
geological discoveries were the more remarkable, as almost 
all that had hitherto been discovered in this coal district, 
w^ere evidently remains of the vegetable kingdom. 

The Leeds Commercial News Room, in the Exchange, 
was opened May 1st, this year, by 500 subscribers of one 
guinea and a half each per annum. 

On Sunday, May 3rd, commenced a most disgraceful 
contention in the village of Meltham, which was continued 
several weeks, in consequence of Mr. Kean, the curate of 
the late incumbent of the chapelry, refusing to give up 
possession of the benefice to the vicar of Almondbury, the 
Rev. L. Jones, who, in exercising his right of {)resentation, 
had nominated himself, it being a better living than his 
vicarage. On the Sunday morning, Mr. Kean and his party 
took possession of the church before six o'clock in the 
morning, and locked and barricadoed the doors, both of 
the church and church yard. At half-past ten, the Rev. L. 
Jones arrived with a large body of special constables, and 
forced the gate, and afterwards the door of the church. 
When they arrived in the interior, they found Mr. Kean in 
the pulpit, and the Sev. Vicar demanded that it should be 
given up to him. This was peremptorily refused, and the 
vicar was prevented ascending the pulpit stairs by a crowd 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 345 

1829. 

of persons standing: on them ; he therefore proceeded to read 
himself iu, in one of the pews, which he supposed would 
answer every legal purpose ; and then left the church. 
Mr. Kean afterwards performed divine service, morning- 
and evening, and, on his leaving the church, his party locked 
and secured the doors. During the continuance of this 
shameful clerical contest, much violence and outrage 
was committed by both parties, but it was finally settled 
by the archbishop, in favour of the vicar of the parish. 

May 4th. The earl of Surrey was elected member of 
parliament for Horsham, being the first Catholic member 
returned to the Commons after the passing of the Catholic 

relief bill. April 12th. A fatal accident happened in 

the Methodist chapel, at Heckmondwike, wliere, during the 
time that Mr. Dawson, of Barnbow, (a popular preacher 
among the Wesleyan Methodists), was preaching to a 
crowded congregation for the benefit of the Sunday school, 
the noise occasioned by the falling of a stove pipe created 
such an alarm, that the people, fearing the gallery was 
falling, made a simultaneous rush towards the doors, and, 
in an instant, such a scene of consternation and confusion 
ensued as no pen can describe. Those who first gained 
the narrow passages, leading from the galleries, were 
thrown down by those behind, who, in their turn, were 
overturned by those rushing from the body of the chapel. 
In vain did the preacher attempt to calm the tumult, ior 
his voice was drowned in the shrieks of the terrified and 
the groans of the dying. AVhen the alarm had subsided, 
the most appalling spectacle presented itself; two heaps of 
persons unable to rise A\ere piled up at the doors to the 
height of four or five feet, and five persons were taken out 
dead ; six or seven were removed apparently in a lifeless 
state, and twenty others were slightly injured. 

April 18th. The Halifax tithe commutation bill, intituled 
"An act for extinguishing tithes, and payments in lieu of 
tithes, mortuaries and Easter offerings, and other vicarial 
dues and payments within the parish of Halifax, in the 
diocese of the county of York; and for making compensa- 
tion to the vicar in lieu thereof, and enabling him to grant 
certain leases of lands belonging to the vicarage," received 
the royal assent. By this act the annual stipend of £1,409 
15s. 6d. was to be paid to the vicar of Halifax, by the 
various townships in the parish, in certain proportions, and 
was to be levied by an assessment on all inhabited houses, 
corn mills, and arable, meadow, and pasture lands, orchards, 
and gardens in each tow^nship. On May 16th, B. Haigh 



346 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 
18-29. 

Allen, Esq., of Greenhead, was interred in Trinity church, 
Hudderslield, which edifice he had recently built and en- 
dowed. Sacli general esteem had his character as a magis- 
trate and a gentleman acquired him, that his funeral was 
attended by about seven hundred persons, clad in deep 
mourning, and all the shops and warehouses in the town 
Avere closed during the melancholy ceremony/. 

jMay 25th. Healey mill, at Ossett, belonging to Messrs. 
"Wilby and Co., scribbling and fulling millers, was destroyed 

by fu'e. June 8th. A sturgeon vv^as caught in the river 

Ouse, near Selb\% Avhich weighed 176 lb>!., and measured 
seven feet three inches in length. On the following morning 
this monster of the deep v/as brought to Leeds, where it 
was purchased by Mr. Denny, for the museum of the Leeds 

philosophical and literary society. On Jime 3rd the 

foundation stone of the Union or Suspension bridge over the 
Aire, at Huuslet, to communicate with the York road, was 
laid by Mr. John Danby. It is of a very curious construction, 
designed by Mr. Leather, C.E. The suspending arch is 
about 150 feet span. It cost ,£4,200, and affords consider- 
able accommodation between Hunslet-lane and Knostrop- 

road. June 13th. Huddersfield was visited with a 

dreadful hurricane, which suddenly filled the to%vn with 
such a dense cloud of dust, that the inhabitants could not see 
the houses on the opposite sides of the streets, and some 
passengers were in danger of suffocation. The wind ap- 
peared to blow from ever}'' quarter, and at Taylor hill, a 
large quantit}'' of dye-wood, spread out to dry, M-as carried 

far away from its owner. June 21st, was laid the first 

stone of the new church at Morley. On the 29th of the 
same month John Charles Ramsden, Esq., M.P., laid the 
foundation stone of the Huddersfield and Upper Agbrigg 
infirmary. 

July 4th, appeared the first number of the Halifax com- 
mercial chronicle newspaper. July 6th, was commenced 

the erection of the bridge which crosses the Aire at 
School close, Leeds. It is a neat and substantial structure, of 
the Doric order, built under the direction of Mr. Leather, 
C.E., by Mr. Mark Faviel, at a cost of £S,000. It is of one 
arch eighty feet span, and fort5''-five feet broad between the 
battlements. A toll-house is erected at the side. The 
bridge is now free for foot passengers. It was opened on 

the 18th of September. July 31st. Died, in the G6th 

year of his age, baron Hullock, one of the judges of assize. 

On August .5th, was laid the first stone of St. Matthew's 
church, at Holbeck. It is a large and handsome fabric, 



THE SURROUlN'DING DISTRICT. 347 

1829. 

and is in the earh' English style of architecture. It was 
erected by government in lieu of the ancient chapel, which 
was mentioned in a Bull granted by the Pope to Ralph 
Paganell, who lived in the time of William the Conqueror, 
and has been given by the said Ralph Paganell to the priory 
of the Holy Trinity, at York— the date 10S9. The edifice 
was consecrated January 3rd, 1S32. The perpetual curacy, 
valued at =£70, is in the patronage of the vicar of Leeds. 

The Rev. J. H. F. Kendall is incumbent. Hirst mill, 

at Longwood, Avas destroyed by fire August ISth. 

On the 26th and 2Sth of August this year was held on 
the Humber, at Hull, a splendid regatta for yachts ; 
sailing vessels under forty tons; six oared boats, four 
oared jolly boats, gold dusters, &c.; these and many 
others being intermixed with a great number of steam- 
packets, trimmed like the rest, with holiday flags, &c., 
rendered the whole an amusing and interesting spectacle. 

On the night of July 11th, a dreadful inundation oc- 
curred in Leeds and the neighbourhood, occasioned by the 
bursting of a reservoir, situate at Black hill, near Adle, 
about seven miles north-west of Leeds, which broke down 
its banks. The reservoir is situated nearly at the head of 
the stream known by the various names of Adle beck, 
"Wood house beck, and Sheepscar beck, through which 
places it passes in its course to Leeds. The dam occupies 
an extent of from twent}'- to twenty-five acres, and is 
rather formed by natural than artificial means, the only 
embankment being at the east end, which is about fifteen 
feet high, and it was the breaking or giving way of this 
embankment, which caused the flood. A breach having 
been made, the water rushed through with dreadful im- 
petuosity, swelling the small rivulet of Adle beck to a 
mighty stream, and carrying ruin and destruction along 
with it, until it emptied itself into the river Aire, at Leeds. 
Nothing could arrest its progress. It threw down bridges, 
levelled walls, uprooted fences, and carried devastation 
into all the adjoining lands. Nor was the injury confined 
to mill-owners and those of large ju'operty. The dwellings 
of the humble cottagers were deluged, many of whom 
suffered severely, and some v/ere deprived of every vestige 
of clothing and furniture they had in the v.-orld. The whole 
contents of this vast reservoir emptied itself in two hours, 
and the flood reached to a greater height than any that 
had occurred since that at the close of the contested 
election in 1807, known at Leeds by the name of the 
Milton flood. During this month, the men employed 



348 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1829. 

in lowering the road at Quarry-hill, Leeds, discovered 
several specimens of fossils, and other relics of " olden 
time," amongst which was a quern, in good preserva- 
tion; an utensil which, in the time of the Anglo-Saxons, 
was used in every family for the purpose of grinding 

oorn into flour. On September 23rd, was laid the 

first stone of Birkinshaw church, near Birstal. 

About eleven o'clock on Monday night, the 9th of 
November, this year, died, in the 71st year of his age, 
Samuel Hichy of Micklefield, in Yorkshire, well known 
as the village blacksmitli, and a popular itinerent Wesleyan 
preacher. He was born at Aberford, September 25th, 
1758, and was one of thirteen children. His parents 
were very poor and could not afford to give him an 
education, so that he grew up to manhood without 
'be'mg able to read or write. At the age of 14 he was 
bound apprentice to Edward Derby, of Healaugh, near 
Tadcaster, to learn the trade of a blacksmith. During 
his apprenticeship, he was frequently impressed with 
religious feelings, especially by the addresses of Richard 
Burdsall, whom he followed from place to place, travel- 
ling many scores of miles, and never liearing him with- 
out being blessed under his preaching. Just before the 
expiration of his time, Samuel fell in love with his 
master's daughter, or, rather, she fell in love with him. 
Mr. Derby, coming down stairs one morning sooner 
than usual, found the girl seated on Samuel's knee. 
"Without saying a word, he went to consult his wife as 
to what should be done to stop the affair, saying, " I 
believe she is as fond of the lad as ever cow was of a 
calf." The upshot of the matter was, that with a good 
deal of angry feeling, the master ordered Samuel to 
leave his house and service. Samuel did not stick fast; 
to use his own narration, "When I was one and twenty 
years of age, there was a shop at liberty at Micklefiel 
and my father took it for me. I here began business 
for myself, and when I had paid for my tools, I was 
left without a penny in my pocket, or a bit of bread to 
eat: but I was strong, in good health, and laboured 
hard, and that God who sent the ravens to feed his 
servant, fed me. One day, while at work, a man came 
into my shop, who told me that his wife had fed the 
pig so fat, as to render it useless to the family, and 
that he would sell me the one half of it very cheap. I 
told him that I wished it were in my power to make 
the purchase — that I was much in need — but that I was 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 349 

1829. 

without money. He replied, he would trust me, and I 
agreed to take it. I mentioned the circumstance to a 
neighbour, who offered to lend me Ave pounds, which I 
accepted; and out of this I paid the maii lor what I had 
bought. I continued to labour hard, and the Lord in his 
abundant goodness, supplied all my wants." After being 
established in business eighteen months, he observes, "The 
Lord saw that I wanted a helpmeet: knew the charac- 
ter that would suit me best, and was so kind as to 
furnish me with one of his own choosing." He soon 
unbosomed his feelings, was accepted, and linally 
united in holy matrimony in Spofford church. Tlie union 
proved a long and happy one: his wife was about five 
years his senior, and survived him three years. On leaving 
the church, after the marriage, a number of i)Oor Avidows 
pressed around him to solicit alms — his heart was touched : 
" 1 began the world " said he to himself "-without mone}', 
and I will again begin it straight." He thereupon emptied 
his pocket of all the mone}^ he possessed. After marriage, 
(his frugal wife, Martha, looking after the cash), he pros- 
pered : he used to say, " The Lord gave me a good wife, 
and I have never wanted money since." He says, " That 
for some time after marriage, both he and his wife were 
strangers to saving grace — that he v/as converted through 
a vision which appeared to him in his sleep. His mother- 
in-law, who had been a member of the Wesleyan Con- 
nexion, died, and he dreamed that she appeared to him 
arrayed in white, took him by the hand, and affectionately 
warned him " to flee from the wrath to come." " My eyes," 
said he, "were opened — I saw all the sins I had com- 
mitted through the Avhole course of my lite — I Vv-as like 
the psalmist, — I cried out like the gaoler — I said my prayers 
as 1 never did before." From that time till his death, he 
follov.-ed a career of chrirstian usefulness, always exhibit- 
ing a strictly moral conduct. He became a joined Methodist, 
and soon after made up his mind to preach. " I know that 
the Lord," says he, " has given me one talent, and I am 
resolved to use it. He has given iriend D. ten ; but I am 
determined that he shall never run away with my one." 
About the year 1797, Mr. Dawson says, that Samuel was 
actively engaged as a prayer-leader and exhorter in the 
villages of Garforth, Barwick, Kippax, Micklefleld, &c.; 
and, having a horse at command, he could go to the most 
distant places without difficulty. He Avas subsequently 
Tabout 1803) on both the Selby and Pontefract plans as a 
local preacher. " In person he was tall and bony, rising 

30 



350 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1829. 

to the height of about six feet. Hard labour and the 
nature of his employment gave a roundness to the upper 
part of his back, and a slight elevation to his right shoulder. 
His hair Mas naturally light, his complexion lair, his face 
full, but more inclined to the oval than the round, and his 
general leatures ?nnall, with a soft, quick, blue-grey, 
twinkling eye." His mind was peculiarly constructed. 
There Mas no system about his sermons ; his thoughts 
seemed broken into fragments. His mode of expression, 
half solemn, half comic, Avould cause his hearers one 
moment to smile, the next they would be in tears: such 
was his sudden transition from one train of thoughts 
to another. There was no polish about his speech. His 
language was of the broadest West-Yorkshire dialect; but 
to thousands of the poor and others as unlettered as himself, 
the village blacksmith was of essential service. His 
zeal was not a mere crackling blaze in the pulpit. His 
workshop was his chapel, and many were the homilies 
which he delivered over the anvil and over ihn. vice, to 
both poor and rich. He says, "In those days there were 
not many noble, not many rich, called. For my own 
part, I have travelled many scores of miles, and neither 
tasted meat nor drink till I got home, [in the evening]. 
I have very often had snowballs thrown at me, and 
been abused by the enemies of the cross of Christ. I 
have been turned out of places where I have been 
preaching by the clergy and the magistrates ; but bless 
the Lord, I have lived to see better days." Through 
the exertions of Samuel, a Methodist chapel was erected 
4it Aberford, his native town, towards which he gave 
£'20. Mr. Dawson says, " Samuel Hick laid the first 
stone; and, as he offered the first prayer upon the first 
stone that was laid, so in the pulpit ot the same chapel, 
he preached his last sermon and poured forth his last 
public prayer for the prosperity of zion." His charity 
was unbounded — indeed his M'ife had now and then to 
Htop the supplies, or he would have been a poor man 
all his liie. " His heart always melted at the sight, or 
ou hearing the tale of woe. He could not hear of per- 
sons in distress, but he wept over them; and if they 
were within his reach, he relieved them according to 
his ability." One day, as he was returniug from the pit 
with a load of coals, a little girl seeing him pass, asked 
him for a piece of coal, stating that her mother was 
confined, and the family without fire. He went with 
the gixl home, found the story correct, brought the cart 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 351 

1829. 

to the door, and poured down the load free of cos^ 
Another time, some soldiers on a forced march, haired 
at Mickie field early in the morning. A thrill of loyalty 
and sympath}'- tilled Samuers bosom. He soon ])iaced 
before the men the whole contents of the buttery, pantry, 
and cellar: bread, cheese, milk, butter, meat, and beer 
speedily went. "When his Avife, Martha, came down f^tairs, 
she proceeded to the buttery to skim the milk i\u- breakfast. 
To her astonishment all had disappeared. Enquiry was 
made, and when she found liow the things had been 
disposed of, she chirled him, saying, " You might have 
taken the cream oiT before you gave it to them." Samuel 
replied, "Bless thee barn, it would do them more good 
with the cream on it." lie once visited a ])oor aged 
widow, and gave her sixpence, all the money he had 
• with him. The widow was overpowered Avith gratitude, 
and Samuel Avas greatly alTected by it, saying to him- 
self, " Eless me, can sixpence make a j)Oor creature 
ha[)py ? How many sixpences have I spent on this 
mouth of mine, in feeding it with tobacco? I will never 
lake another pipe whilst I live: I will give to the poor 
whatever I save from it." Soon after this Samuel was 
ill, and his medical attendant said it A\'as in some 
measure caused by his suddenly breaking olT tlie use of 
the pipe. The following dialogue occurred: — • 

Physician — "You must resume the use of (he pi})e, 
]Mr. Hick." Samuel — " Never more, sir, Avhile I live." 
FJiysician — "It is essential to your restoration to health, 
and I cannot be answerable for consequences, sliould you 
reject the advice given." Samuel — "Let come v/hat "vvill, 
I'll never take another ])ipe : I've told my Lord so, and 
I'll abide by it." Pliyslclan — "You will in all proba- 
bility die then." Samnd — Glory be to God for that! 
I shall go to heaven. I have made a vow, and T'llkeep it." 
To illustrate Samuel's failh in the efficacy of j)ra.yer, 
we will give the following anecdotes: — In the course of 
a summer of excessive drought, a few years back, when 
the grain suffered greatly, and many of the cattle, es- 
j)ecially in Lincolnshire, died, .Samuel was much affected. 
He visited Knaresborough, at wliich place he jireached 
on the Lord's day. Remaining in the town and neigh- 
bourhood over the Sabbath, he appeared extremely rest- 
less in the hou«e ia wliich he resided, during the whole 
of Monday. His restlessness and singularity of manners 
attracted the attention of the family so much, that they 
asked if anything was the matter with him. " Bless 



352 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 
1«29. 

you, barns,'' was his repl}', "do you not recollect that I 
was praying for rain last night in the pulpit i^ and what 
will the Infidels at Knaresbro' think, if it do not come? 
— If my Lord should fail me, and not stand by me? But 
it must have time: it cannot be here yet. It has to 
come from the sea. Neither can it be seen at first: 
the prophet only saw a bit of cloud like a man's hand; 
by and by it spread along the sky. I am looking for 
an answer to my prayer; but it must have time." 
" Towards evening (he sky became overcast, and the 
clouds dropped the fatness of a shower upon the earth." 
In 1817, Samuel was about to hold a love-feast at 
Micklelleld, and had invited persons from Knottingley 
and other places. He had promised that two loads 
of corn should be ground for the occasion. The day 
fixed for the love-feast drew near : there was no flour 
in the house, and the windmills, in consequence of a 
long calm, stretched out their arms in vain to catch the 
rising breeze. In the midst of this death-like quiet, 
Samuel, carried his corn to the mill nearest his own 
residence, and requested the miller to unfurl his sails. 
The niiller objected, staling that there was ''No wind." 
Samuel, on the other hand, continued to urge his request, 
saying, " I will go and pray while you spread the cloth." 
The miller stretched his canvass, and, to his utter as- 
tonishment, a tine breeze sprung up — the fans whirled 
round — the corn was converted into meal — and Samuel 
returned with his burthen rejoicing, and had everything 
in readiness for the festival. A neighbour who had 
seen the fans in vigorous motion, took also some corn 
to be ground; bur the wind had dropped, and the miller 
remarked to him, "You must send for Samuel Hick to 
pray for the wind to blow again." Samuel was once 
at a friend's house, at which was present the Rev. A. L., 
and Mr, U , a solicitor. During the evening a prayer- 
meeting was held. Samuel was called upon to pray, in 
the course of which he prayed that Mr. A. L. might 
obtain a good wife. He then prayed for the conversion 
of Mr. U., saying, "Lord save the Homey. What he is 
thou knovvcst — I know not; but when he is saved, he 
will not cliarge folk so much money for their jobs. Thou 
hast saved an attorney at Long Preston, and he gets as 
good a living as any of them. Lord save this man." 
At the beginning of IS26, he had made sufficient money 
to enable him to retire from business. He then entered 
upon a wider sphere of usefulness, preaching in several 



THE SUHllOUNDING DLSTUICT. 353 

1829. 

circuits in Yorksiiire and Lancashire, and tra\'clling en- 
tirely at his own expense. His addresses in the puipifc 
rarely exceeded half an hour. He used to say, "I 
cannot go straight forward in preaching; but when I 
miss my mark in going, I often fell them in coming 
back." A friend urged hirn to employ more method in 
his sermons, he replied, "'Why, bless you ham, I give it 
them hot olf the i)akestone!" He continued until the 
very year of his death, prcachit-g, travelling', and visiting 
the sick. In September of 1S29, hearing that a niece of 
his who resided at Grassiugton, wns very ill, he took 
the coach for Skipton. The day ^v'as exceedingly -wet, 
and he being on the outside, his clotlics ^vere drenched 
with raiu. He arrived a few days before !iis niece died, 
but received his own death-strcjke from the journey: 
for he caught a severe cold, which settled upon his 
lungs, and Irom which he never fully recovered. On 
his return home he was only able to preach a few- 
times and attend two missionary meetings. He now 
began to sirik fast, though not con lined to bed till a 
short time before he died. He died on the day men- 
tioned at the beginning of this sketch. Such was the 
esteem in which he Avas held, that his remains were 
followed to Aberford by about a thousand people. In 
Samuel Hick, was an amazing amount of simple, pure, 
uusopliisticated nature, -combined with the strictest moral 
conduct and the most fervid zeal. He was remarkable 
for great openness of disposition and unbounded gener- 
osity, as well as faitli and pirayer ; and by his one talent 
yielded a greater har'.est or good to the christian church 
than many with their ten. Hi-* memoir;-, by Everett, 
(to which the compiler is indebted for this sketch), 
passed through eleven editions in about as many years, 
embracing between tv/enty and thirty tliousand copies. 

A large portion of Calverlcy mills, occupied by Mr. 
"SYiiliam Greenwood, was destroyed by iire, on the 2ad 

of December. Dec. liSih. Tlie v/ool-combing shop 

of W. Burnley and Sons, of Gomersal, v/as completely 
destroyed by another accidental confia.-ration. 

Dec. 7th. The v/oollen mill belonging to Abraham 
Haigh and Co., of Long wood, near Hudders field, was 

totally destroyed by fire. rThe bridge at the bottom 

of Lady-lane, Leeds, v/as enlarged this year. 

On the 30th of December, a large and beautiful wild 
swan was shot at Cross Aipes, near Huddersfield. It 
measured from the extremities of the Avings eight feet 



354 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1829. 

six ifKCJies, and from the beak to the tail three feet six 

inches. On being- divested of its skin, the body was 

cooked, and atForded a repast for twenty-one persons. 

During- this year great distress prevailed in the town of 
Barnsley, the principal seat of the Yorkshire linen manu- 
facture. An attempt was made on the part of several of 
the masters to reduce the wages of the weavers, and a long 
strike was the consequence. After a struggle of five months, 
the workmen found themselves under the necessity of ac- 
cepting the reduced rate of wages. 

The Liverpool and Manchester Railway Company having 
offered a prize of £500 for the best locomotive engine, the 
8th of October in this year was fixed for the trial, and ou 
the appointed day three engines were brought forward to 
compete for the prize. Stephenson was there with his 
"Rocket"; Hackworth with the ''Sanspareil"; and Braith- 
waite and Ericsson with the "Novelty." The test assigned 
was to run a distance of thirt}'' miles, at not less than ten 
miles an hour, backwards and forwards, along a two miles 
level near Rainhill, drawing a load three times the weight 
of the engine. The Novelty, after running twice along the 
level, was disabled by failure of the boiler plates, and 
withdra%yn. The Sanspareil traversed eight times at a 
speed of nearly fifteen miles an hour, when it was stopped 
by a derangement of the machinery. The Rocket travelled 
over the stipulated thirty miles in two hours and seven 
minutes, nearly, with a speed at times of twenty-nine miles 
an hour, and at the slowest nearly twelve : in the latter 
case exceeding the advertised maximum, in the former, 
almost tripling it. The prize was at once awarded to the 
Bochet. The Rocket weighed six tons: locomotives now 
Tveigh from thirty to forty tons. The first application to 
parliament for the bill to construct the Liverpool and Man- 
chester railw^ay was made in 1825, when the interest of the 
proprietors of the navigation defeated it ; the application was 
renewed in 1826, and succeeded. The capital of the company 
was £510,000, raised in shares of £100. Mr. George Stephenson 
v/as appointed the principal engineer, at a salary of £1,000, 
and he carried through the work in the most admirable 
manner. The operations were commenced in June, 1826, 
by the draining of Chat Moss. Three additional acts were 
obtained by the company in different years, one for borrow- 
ing £100,000, another for shortening the original route, and 
a third for raising the additional sum of £ 127,500 for the 
carrying department of the railway, and also for continuing 
the railway by a bridge over the Irwell, into Manchester. 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 355 

1829. 

The railway commences at Wapping, near the banks of the 
Mersey, in Liverpool, and is earned under the town by a 
spacious tunnel, 2,'2.50 yards long, of which 1,980 yards form 
a regular slope, rising 123 feet, or three-fourths of an inch, 
to the yard : the tunnel is twenty-two feet wide, and six- 
teen high, and is arched over, whitewashed, and illumi- 
nated with gas. There is another small tunnel connected 
with the railway at Liverpool, intended for the landing of 
passengers by the coaches at the upper part of the town, 
and of such goods as may require to be left there ; tliis 
tunnel is 290 yards long, fifteen feet wide, and twelve high. 
The whole length of the railway is thirty-one miles. 
The most magnificent construction on the line in its ex- 
ternal appearance is the Sanke}^ viaduct, upwards of four- 
teen miles from Liverpool, where the railway is carried 
across the valley and canal of the Sankey, at an elevation 
of seventy feet, by an extensive embankment, and a stu- 
pendous bridge of nine arches, each fifty feet span, and 
twenty-five feet in width. The vessels on the canal sail 
under the bridge with their masts and sails up, and the 
eflPect of the erection is scarcely inferior to that of the 
finest Roman aqueducts. Xear the town of Newton, the 
railway passes over a lofty bridge of four arches and a high 
embankment. It then passes through the Kenyon excava- 
tion, out of which 800,000 cubic yards of clay and sand 
were dug. Chat Moss, over which the railway passes for 
four miles, Avas thought by some to present au insuperable 
difficulty to the completion of the work. It is a huge bog, 
twelve miles square, and from ten to thirty-five feet deep; 
in many places so soft that cattle cannot walk upon it, and 
that an iron rod would sink by its own weight to the 
bottom of the Moss. " The railway," says Mr. Henry 
Booth, "for the most part floats on the surface, its com- 
pactness and buoyancy in the most fluid places being 
assisted by hurdles of brushwood and heather, laid under 
the wood sleepers which support the rails. The portion of 
the Moss which presented the most difficulty in its com- 
pletion, was about half a mile on the east border, where an 
embankment of about twenty feet had to be formed above 
the natural level. The weight of this embankment resting 
on a semi-fluid base, pressed do^Nn the original surface: 
many thousand cubic yards gradually and silently dis- 
appeared, before the line of road made any approach to the 
proposed level. By degrees, however, the whole mass 
beneath and on each side of this embankment became con- 
solidated by the superincumbent and lateral pressure, and 



356 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 
1829.-1830. 

a little perseverance finally completed the work." The 
construction of this? line was a great trial, not only of 
the skill and enerjj-y of the engineer, but of the patience 
of the directors. For a fuller account of tlie railway and 
the difficulties attending its construction, see Dr. Sniiles's 
life of Stephenson, to which we are indebted for an 
account of the : — 

1830. Opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway — 
" At length the line was completed, and ready for the 
public ceremony of opening, which took place on the 30tli 
of September, 1830. This important event attracted a 
vast r.umber of spectators from all parts of the country. 
Strong palings v/ero erected for miles along fhe deep 
cuttings near Liverpool, to keep of? fhe pressure of the 
multitude, and prevent fbem falling over in fheir eager- 
ness to witness the passing trains. Constables and 
soldiers were there in numbers to assist in keeping fhe 
line clear. The completion of the railway was justly 
regarded as an important nafional event, and the cere- 
mony oro})ening Avas celebrated accordingly^ The dake of 
Wellington, then prime minister, Sir Robert Peel, secre- 
tary of state, Mr. Huskisson, one of the members for 
L'verpool, and an earnest supporter of the project from 
its commencemenf", were amongst the number of dis- 
tinguished public person;;ges present. Eight locomotives 
constructed at the Stephenson works, had been delivered 
and placed upon the line, the whole of which had been 
tried and tested weeks before, with perfect success. The 
various trains of carriages accommodated in all about 
six hundred persons. The "Northumbrian" engine, driven 
by J\Ir. George Stephenson lumself, headed the procession; 
theii followed the "Phoenix," driven by Robert Stephenson; 
X\\Qi "North Star," by Robert Stephenson, sen., (brother 
of George); the "Rocket," by Josepli Locke ; the "Dart," 
by Thomas L. Groch; the "Comet," by William Allcard; 
the "Arrow," by Frederick Svvanwick; and the "Meteor," 
by Anthony Hardi-ng. The procession was cheered in 
its progress \iy thousands of spectators, through the 
deep ravine of Olive mount, up the Sufton incline, over 
the great Sankey viaduct, beneath which a multitude of 
persons had assembled — carriages filling the narrow lanes, 
and barges crowding the river: the people below gazing 
with wonder and admiration at the trains Avhich sped 
along the line, far above their heads, at fho rate of some 
tv/enty-four miles an hour. At Parkside, some seventeen 
miles from Liverpool, the engines stopped to fake water. 



THE SURROUJS'DING DISTRICT. 357 

1830 

Here a deplorable accident occurred to one of the most 
distinguished of the illustrious visitors present, which 
threw a deep sliadow over the subsequent proceedings 
of the day. The Northumbrian engine, with the carriage 
containing the duke of Wellingfon, was drawn up on 
one line, in order that the whole of the trains might 
pass in review before him, and his party on the other. 
Mr, liuskisson had, unhappily, alighted from the carriage, 
and was standing on the opposite road, along which the 
Rocket engine was observed rapidly coming u}). At this 
moment the duke of Wellington, between whom and 
Mr, Huskisson some coolness had existed, made a sign 
of recognition, and held out his hand. A hurried but 
friendly grasp Avas given; and before it was loosened, 
there was a general cry from the bystanders of "Got in, 
get in," Flurried and confused, Mr. Huskisson en- 
deavoured to get round the opened door of the carriage, 
which projected over the opposite rail; but in so doing, 
he was struck down by the Rocket, and falling with his 
leg doubled across the rail, the limb was instantly 
crushed. His first v/ords on being raised, were, "I have 
met my death," which unhappily proved too true, for he 
expired that same evening in the neighbouring parsonage 
of Eccles. It was cited at the time as a remarkable 
fact, that the Northumbrian engine conveyed the wounded 
body of the unfortunate gentleman a distance of about 
fifteen miles in twenty-five minutes, or at the rate of 
thirty-six miles an hour. This incredible speed burst 
upon the world with the effect of a new and unlooked 
for phenomenon. The lamentable acc'dent threw a gloom 
over the rest of the day's proceedings. The duke of 
Wellington and Hir Robert Peel expressed a wish that 
the procession should return to liiverpool. It was, how- 
ever, represented to them that a vast concourse of 
people had assembled at IManchester to witness the 
arrival of the trains ; that report would exaggerate the 
mischief, if they did not complete the journey, and that 
a t''alse panic on that day might seriously affect future 
railway travelling, and the value of the company's 
property. The party consented accordingly to proceed 
to Manchester, but on the understanding that they should 
return as soon as possible, and refrain from further 
festivity, 

Jan. A pig w^as slaughtered by Thomas Spedding, of 
Dewsbury, bred by Abraham Ibbetson, Esq., which weighed 
fifty stones eight pounds, one of the hams weighing eighty 



358 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1830. 

pounds. On tlie GMi of January, the extensive cotton 

and woollen mill, at Whcatley, near Halifax, belong-ing to 
Mr. James Greenwood, was destroyed by tire. It employed 

above 400 Avorkmen. Jan. 20th, Messrs. Barker and 

Musgrave's woollen mill, at Braniley, Avas destroyed by fire. 

During the severe storm in the early part of this year, 
upwards of sixty deer perished in the park of Sir George 

Armytage, at Kirklees. Jan. The Airedale heifer, the 

property of Mr, Slingsby, of Riddlesden hall, near Keighley,, 
was slaughtered in consequence of a severe contusion ou 
one of her hind quarters, which turned to a mortification. 
The owner had 400 guineas ulfered for her, and was to 
receive one half of the profit arising from her exhibition in 
England. She weighed 4! stones 12 lbs., per quarter, 
16 lbs. to the stone, and measured eleven feet ten inches 
from her nose to the stump of the tail, and ten feet six 
inches in girth; she was eleven inches deep in fat on the 

ribs. Jan. The celebrated William Cobbett was at 

this time on a visit to Leeds, and gave a course of three 
lectures at the theatre, Hunslet-lano, on "The present 
distress, and the means to be adopted to alleviate it." A 
local paper says, that '-As everybody flocked to hear him, 
so everybody talks of his person, his performances, and his 

doctrines." Feb. 3rd, died the venerable earl of Mex- 

borough, of Methley park, in the G9th year of his age. 

The Exchange buildings at Bradford were opened this 

year. Feb. The inhabitants of the villages of Calver- 

iey and Idle and the district surrounding, were thrown 
into a state of great agitation by the discovery that the- 
body of Sarah Goraersal, a young woman about 28 years- 
of age, which was interred ou the Sth of January, had 
been stolen from her burial place, in Calverley parish 

church yard. Feb. lofh. A meeting of the "Leeds 

stuflP manufactures, operatives, and others connected with 
their interests," was held at the new top mill. Bank, when 
it was resolved to petition parliament "To curtail the' 
rapid increase of the power-loom, by the imposition of a 
tax on the goods manufactured by that means. The 
petition is curious, as shov/ing the ideas respecting ma- 
chinery thirty years ago. It states "That the rapid 
increase of that branch of machinery, which inverts th& 
decrees of Providence, by superseding manual labour, is 
an evil of such magnitude as to strike at the actual ex- 
istence of the working classes at no distant period. That 
the situation of the hand- loom Aveavcr and his family in 
this district is wretched in the extreme, &c., &c. Your 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 359 

1830. 

2)etitioners implore your honourable house to take Ihcir 
case into your immediate and most serious consideration, 
and by cramping that engine of misery, tbe power- loom, 
afford relief to thousands of your peaceable and industrious 
fellow-subjects, now grovelling in poverty and wretched- 
ness, through the all-absorbing influence of that most in- 
jurious of inventions." This petition received 1,500 
signatures, and was presented by M. T. Sadler, Esq., 
M.P. The Leeds stulf weavers were shortly after this 
time on the strike for an advance of wages. 

Feb. 23rd. A motion by lord John Russell, in the House 
of Commons, lor leave to bring in a bill to enable the towns 
of Manchester, Leeds, and Birmingham, to return represen- 
tatives to parliament, was lost by ISS against 140. 

Feb. 29th. A fearful accident occurred at the new 
Brunswick theatre, "Wells- street, London, (during the time 
of rehearsal, when many people were in the theatre,) 
caused by the walls giving way, and by the falling 
in of the iron roof; ten houses on the opposite side of 
the street v/ere destroyed, and some passengers and 
a dray and horses crushed. Eleven persons within the 
theatre were killed, and tv»'enty others severely hurt. 
The coroner's jury sat six weeks, and returned a ver- 
dict of strong censure against the architects of the 

building. Mar. 13th. The Manchester and Hudders- 

£eld mail was overturned at Longroyd bridge, and 
the coachman and passengers were precipitated a 
depth of ten or eleven yards upon some large stones 
by the river Colne, by which accident Mr. Samuel 
Statham, of Hudderstield, was killed, and Mr. D. Berry, 

of Almondbury, had his leg broken. Mar. 25th. The 

first stone of St. James's church, Halifax, Avas laid. 

Mar. 30th. Died Mr. J. Thomas, aged 89. He held the 
office of town's cryer, in Leeds, ui)wards of lifty-five 

years.- April 1st. Mr. Peel brought a bill into the 

House of Commons, which passed into law, to abolish the 
punishment of death for forgery, except for the forgery of 
the great seal, the privy seal, and the sign manual. 

April 5th. William ShaM^ was executed at York, for the 
murder of Rachel Crossley ; after the murder he threw her 

body into a coal pit, at Kirkburton. April 14lh. The 

foundation stone of St. Martin's church, Brighouse, was 

laid. May 11th. Lord Milton presented a petition to 

the House of Commons from Leeds, signed by from 13,000 
to 14,000 of the inhabitants, praying for retrenchment and 
parliamentary reform. May 15th. Died, aged 37, the 



360 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1830. 

Rev. George Walker, M.A., late fellow of Trinity college, 
Cambridge, rector of Papworth Everard in the same 
county, head master of the Leeds free grammar school, 
and officiating minister of Trinity church, Leeds. He was 
a man of unquestionable talents and high attainments, 
and discharged his various duties with that vigorous at- 
tention and efficiency which characterise mental ardour 
and cultivation. He was appointed head master of the 
free school in 181S, and succeeded the Rev. G. P. Richards, 
M.A., on his resignation. He was entombed in one of the 
vaults of St. Paul's church, Leeds. On the •28th July 
following, the Rev. Joseph Holmes, M.A., of Croxfon,near 
Caxton, late fellow and tutor of queen's college, Cam- 
bridge, was elected head master of the Leeds free school, 
in the place of Mr. Walker. — The masters of this school 
since its commencement to this date have been ; — 
Samuel Pulkn,DI).,A.D.l624. j Thomas Barnard, M. A- 1712. 
Joshua Pulhn, D.D., . 1G30. \ R. Sedgeivicke,M.A. . 1750. 
John Garnett, M.A., . 1651. | Samuel Brooke, M.A. . 1764. 
Michael Gilberts, M. A.. 1662. | Thos. Goodinge, L.L.D. 1778. 



Edward Clarke, M.A.,. 1690. 
Miles Farrer, M.A., .1694. 
Thomas Diveyer, B.D... 1698. 
Thomas Dixon, M A. . 1706. 



Jose2)h Wliitely, MA. . 1790. 
Geo. P. Richards, M.A.. 1815. 
George Walker, M.A. . 1818. 
Joseph Holmes, B.D. . 1830. 



An act of parliament was obtained on the 1st June, this 
year, for making the Leeds and Selbj'- Railway. The com- 
pany of proprietors, incorporated b}'' this act, were 
authorised to raise money amongst themselves for the un- 
dertaking, not exceeding £210,000. to be divided into 
shares of <£100 each ; "and they might also raise an addi- 
tional sum of £90,000," by way of mortgage. The work 
was commenced at the beginning of 1831, and the road 
was opened for passengers on September 22nd, 1834, and 
for the transit of merchandise on the loth of December 
following. The station is in Marsh-lane. This was the 

first line that was opened in connexion with Leeds. An 

application was made to parliament during this year, to 
form a railway between liCeds and Bradford, which failed 
after considerable expense had been incurred, principally 
through the opposition of the marchioness of Hertford, 
through whose property at Holbeck it was intended to 
carry the railway. 

On June 26th, died, at Windsor castle, George IV., aged 
68 years. He was born on the 12th of August, 1769, and 
succeeded his father, George III. 



THE SDRROEJNDING DISTRICT. 361 

1830 

For many years the king had been scarcely ever free 
from gout; but its attacks had been resisted by the un- 
common strength of his constitution. Pains of the eyes, 
and defective vision, gout in the feet and hands, and 
lastly, the great malady of his family, dropsy, to which 
the duke of York, and his sister the queen of Y/ur- 
teraberg, had fallen victims, befel him. In April, 
his malady assumed a decisive characfer, and bulletins 
began to be issued. In Ma}^ a commission Avas ap- 
pointed to ilx the royal signature ; the king signifying 
his assent by word of mouth. Before his deatli it was 
with difficulty he could whisper his veibal affirmative. 
About a week before he died, tlie physician delicately 
announced to him the inevitable catastrophe. "God's 
will be done!" was the reply. The king's faculties 
continued unimpaired to the last. On administering to 
him the last sacrament, the bishop of Chichester re- 
minded him of the duke of Sussex ; when the king 
charged the prelate after his death to carry a message 
to the duke, saying all his offences were forgotten, and 
to assure him of his fraternal affection. His majesty's 
sufferings were very great; during the paroxysms of 
pain, his moans were heard even by tlie sentinels on 
duty in the quadrangle. On the night of the 25th of 
June, his cough was nnsually painful, and about three 
o'clock in the morning of the 26rh he expired, having a 
few minutes previously faintly ejaculated, "Oh! God, 
I'm dying," and '■'■this is decdJi.'" In his youth he was 
eminently handsome, liberally educated, with intellect 
of a superior order, and great powers of conversation, 
he justly merited his title o{ " the most accomplished 
gentleman in Europe;" and although many actions of 
his private life deserve censure, as a sovereign, alike in 
his regency and in his reign, he will ever hold a dis- 
tinguished" place in English history. 

June .'30th. The largest spot which had been seen on the 
sun for many years, was observed at eight o'clock on the 
morning of this day. The diameter subtended an angle of 
thirty-seven seconds of a degree, and therefore, taking the 
sun's diameter at S0:),000 miles, it extended 23,7,50 miles 
in length, and being nearly circular, it covered 443,000,000 
square miles of the sun's surface. 

July 3rd. Tlie proclamation of king Yrilliam the fourth's 
accession to the throne, took place at Leeds in the presence 
of an immense assemblage of the inhabitants of the town 
and neighbourhood. At the conclusion of the ceremony, 

^ 31 



362 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1830. 

the mayor and corporation, the clergy, and the military 
officers, &c., partook of an excellent cold collation at the 

Eoyal hotel, Briggate. July 10th. William Walker, 

Esq., of Wilsick, near Doncaster, was thrown from his 
horse, near his own house, and received so much injury 
that he only lived about two hours and a half after. The 
deceased was a barris!er-at-law, deputy recorder of Don- 
caster, and a partner in the firm of Sir W. B. Cooke, 
Childers, and Co., bankers there. He was born in 1773, 
and was the second son of WJlliam Walker, Esq., of 
Killingbeck, by Jane, daughter of Samuel Hallawell, Esq., 
of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, granddaughter of the Rev. 
William Horsley, A.M., the celebrated author of Britannia 

Romana. July 15th being the day ot his late majesty's 

funeral, the shoi)s and other places of business in Leeds 
-were closed. The mayor and corporation walked in pro- 
cession to the parish church, the lOth hussars playing the 

dead march in Saul. Jul}'' 19th. Mr. Hare, surgeon, 

this day applied to the magistrates of the borough of Leeds, 
being the quarter sessions, for a licence to use Castle ton lodge 
situate in the township of Armley, for the reception and 
cure of persons afflicted with disorders of the mind. The 
licence was granted, and visitors appointed according to 
9th Geo. IV., c. 40. July 2Sth. The 87th annual con- 
ference of the Wesleyan Methodists commenced at Leeds. 

July 29th. A local paper of this date states, that "About 
a year ago, the hair of a person named George Wright, 63 
years of age, who resides at Beeston, which was then a 
dark brown, turned completely white : in the course of 
tv.^o monfhs it camo entirely off, and in about two months 
more he had a fresh crop of dark brown hair, which he 

ROW wears." Mrs. Ingle, of Chapeltown, near Leeds, 

bequeathed the interest of i'300 for ever, to the poor 
widows attending divine worship in the Episcopal chapel 
at that place, to be distributed on the third Sunday in every 
month; and £200 in liquidation of the debt owing by 
the trustees of the Methodist chapel, at Chapel-AUerton. 

July. During this month a great sensation was produced 
in Britain by a revolution which took place in France, the 
main line of the Bourbon family being expelled, and the 
crown conferred upon Louis Phillipe, duke of Orleans. In 
September, an insurrection broke out at Brussels, which 
ended in the separation of Belgium from Holland. 

County Election. The death of George IV. and the ac- 
cession of William IV., caused a general election in the 
summer of this year. Both lord Milton and Mr. Marshall 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 363 

1830. 

announced their retirement from the representation of 
Yorkshire : the former, after a term of service of twenty - 
three years, withdrew, owing to the prohability, from his 
father's great age, that he would soon be called to the 
House of Lords ; and Mr. Marshall retired from feeling 
himself unable, at his advanced period of life, to sustain 
the representation of the county, or even to continue in 
parliament in a time of such higii excitement. From 
similar motives Mr. Fountayne Wilson, one of the tory 
members, had likewise resolved to Avithdraw from public 

life. July 9t]i. M. Srapylton, Es([. annoanced to the 

freeholders of the county, his intention of soliciting 
their suffrages at the general election, on the hon- 
ourable principle of freedom of election, by the freeholders 
coming to the poll at their own expense. The hon. Wm. 
Duncombe also announced his intention of again coming for- 
■\vard for the county. On the 2;}rd of June, a meeting 
was held at Etridge's hotel, York, for the ])urpose of in- 
viting two independent gentlemen, of liberal principles, to 
become candidates to represent the county, when it ^vas 
resolved to call forv/ard lord Morpeth and Henry Brougham, 
Esq. Oa the 2l3t, Richard Bethell, Esq., of Rise, also de- 
clared himself a candidate, having been called upon by a 
numerous body of freeholders Thus, there were Ave 
candidates in the field. Thursday, August 5th, was the 
day appointed for the election, A\'hen the city of York 
witnessed a vast influx of freeholders on tliat morning. 
The West-Riding, especially the populous clothing district, 
poured fortli an astonishing immber of freehulders to the 
place of election, in vehicles of every kind, from the 
carriage and four down to the capacious waggon, as well 
as on horseback, and even on foot. As early as four o'clock, 
.six carriages and four, several chaises, and a great number 
of gigs and horsemen, together with a stage coach, tilled 
inside and outside with the trustees of the Leeds Cloth 
halls, set out from the Commercial buildings, in Leeds, and, 
being joined by vast multitudes on the road, arrived at 
York ill an apparently endless train, before eight o'clock. 
The several candidates arrived at the castle yard between 
nine and ten o'clock, on horseback, \\ earing court dresses. 
Around the casfh^ yard twenty-one booths were erected 
for the accommodation of the voters going to jjoII. When 
the proceedings commenced, it was calculated that there 
Avere upwards of twenty thousand persons j)resent. The 
high sheriff, the hon. Edward Robert Petre, entered the 
castle yard in his carriage, at a quarter before ten o'clock, 



364 ANN'ALH OF LEEDH, YORK, AND 

1830, 

and the iisaal preliminaries being gone througii, Sir William 
Foulis, bart. ])roposed the hon, Wm. Diuicombe, who wa^? 
seconded by Mr. Alderman Hall, of Leeds. Sir. J. V. B. 
Johnstone, hart., proposed lord Morpeth, seconded by- 
Charles AVood, Esq. Richard Bet hell, E^q., was proposed 
by >»'illiam Beverley, Esq, and secoiided by J. S. B. 
Morritt, Esq ; and Henry Brougham, Esq , was proposed 
by Daniel Sykes, Esq., M P., and secotided by William 
Birkbcck, E.;q. As no oiie came forward to propose 
Martin Stapyliori, Esq., that gentleman proposed himself. 
After the sever-r^l candidates had addressed the meeting, 
the high sherift' put the propositions in the usual way, 
%vheti there appeared very i?.\v harsds in favour of Mr. 
Stapylfon; who, however, demanded a poll, which was 
commenced an.d kept open till eight in the evening. At a 
few niiimtea past fen on ihe following morning, (Friday), 
the high sheriff and the candidates appeared on the 
hustings, ^vl'len the poll was ag;iin opened, and kept open 
until three o'clock; Mr. Stapylton having absented himself, 
the high sheriff demanded of each of the candidates if they 
objected to his making proclamation that the ])oll should 
close; the other fonr candidates ])y themselves or friends 
replied, that they did not. Ho then addressed the free- 
holders, stating that, if any freeholder was dissatistied 
wiih his peremptorily closing the j^oll, he was then invited 
to come forNvard and he should be heard, and no objection 
being made by any freeholdei-, the under sherilf then 
brought up the result of the poll, which was as follows : — 

Lord Morpeth 1,464. 

Henry Brougham, 1 ,295. 

Hon. W. Duncomhe, 1,123. 

Pdchard Bethell, 1,064. 

Martin Stapylton, 94. 

The four first genllemen were of course declared duly 
elected. One impi)rtant featnre in the above election is, 
that of Ihe niembers being returned U-ea of expense, which, 
in a county so extensive as Yorkshire, had hitherto been 
attended with almost ruinous consequences. 

Aug. 19rn. A most melancholy accident occurred on the 
river Ouse, near York, by which seven persons lost their 
lives ; six of them being members of one family. The 
particulars of which are as folloM^s : — On the afternoon of 
that day, the family of Mr. John Rigg, nursery and seeds- 
man, Fishergate, York, consisting of two daughters and 
four sons, with Miss Robinson, from Ayton, near Scarbro', 



THE SURROUKDIAG DISTRICT. 365 

1830. 

and Mr. Thomas Sellers, of the Falcon inn, left home in 
the full flow of health and spirits, and went on board a 
pleasure boat, for a water excursion. The party pro- 
ceeded up the river, and had been out rather more than 
an hour, when they came in contact with a keel, which 
was coming down the river, before the wind, under a press 
of sail, and the boat being- struck on the larboard quarter 
she immediately swamped, and the whole party Avas pre- 
cipitated into the Ouse. Assistance was soon at hand, 
but only two of the number were saved. A monument to 
the Rigg family was subsequently erected by public sub- 
scription, in the church yard of St. Lawrence, in that 
city. The tablet bears the folloAving inscription: — 

"Raised by friendship, ix MEmRv of four soxs akd two daughters of 
John AXD Ann Rigg, cf this citv, viz:— An> Guthrie Rigg, aged 19 
Tears; Eliza Rigg, aged 17 ; Thchas Gorwood Rigg, aged 18; John 
Rigg, aged IC ; James Smith Rigg, A';ed 7 ; and Charles Rigg, aged 6; 
■who were dr )wned by their boat being kun doavn on the river Ouse, 
NEAR York, August 19th, 1830. 

^* Mark the brief story of a summers daij ! 

At noon, youth, health, and beauty launched aioay ; 
Ere eve, death ivrccWd the bark, and quench'd their light, 

Th-eir parents' home was desolate at night : 
Each pass'd alone, that gidph no eye can see — 

They met next moment in Eternity. 
Friend, kinsman, stranger, dost thou ask me ivhere ? 
Seek God^s right hand, and hope to find them there^ 
It is a singular coincidence that the very day on which 
the above dreadful accident happened, a similar occurrence 
took place on the river, near Norwich, v/here three brothers 
were drowned in the presence of their parents, who were 
in another boat upon the spot, and witnessed the dread- 
ful catastrophe, without being able to render assistance. 
Another boat accident happened at Beal, near Ferrybridge, 
on Thursday the 29tli of this month, when three young 
men lost their lives. Their boat was carried by the 
stream over the dam and upset. 

From the report of the parliamentary commissioners 
concerning charities, it appeared that the income arising 
from the pious use property in the town of Leeds was as 
follov/s, viz : property and funded stock belonging to the 
free grammar school, £1,074 17s. 6d. ; ditto for providing 
clothing for the poor of the parish, £2G7 17s. lOd. ; ditto 
for repairing the highways, roads, &c., in the parish, 
jeSlSlos.Gd.; making a total annual income of £2,761 10s. lOd. 
On the 30th of August, St. Peter's church, Morley, was 



366 ANNALS OF LKEDS, YORK, AND 

1830. 

consecrated by his grace the archbishop of York. On the 
31s b of August, the Holy Tritiit}'- church, at Idle, was con- 
secrated by the sanie archbishop. On the 1st September 
he consecrated llie new church at Paddock, in the parish 
of Huddersfield ; and on the f'ame day, the new churches 
in the town^ihips of Golcar and Liiidley, in the same parish. 
On the 2r;d Septen)ber he consecrated the new churches at 
Lockv/ood a'id Netherthong, iu the parish of Ahnondbur3^ 

In clearing away the rubbish from the interior of the 
organ screen in York minster, the workmen came to the 
foundations of an ancient choir. "These walls are siy 
feet eight inclies thick, and run from east to wesr, passing 
the pillars of the lantern tower; a portion of them having 
been cut away to admit the bases of those pillars. The}"- 
are composed of rough granite and coarse sand stone. This 
discovery proves that the old choir was much longer v/est- 
ward, and narrower from north to south, than the present 
one. More of the walls have been di.scovered, tending 
eastward; they have been traced to a considerable distance, 
and have been found to return in a cross or transept form 
to the north and south. It is conjectured with every 
reason of probability that these Vv^alls arc the remains of 
the erection of archbishop Thomas, who rebuilt the choir 
■on a nobler scale in 1070." 

Aug. .31st. A public meeting was held at the Leeds Court 
house, for the 'purpose of taking into consideration the 
the propriety of forming a Temjjerance society. "The 
objects of which were to advocate the entire suppression 
of the use of distilled spirits, except when recommended 
2nedical]3% and to check the immoderate use of all ofher 
kinds ot liquor" The meeting was adjourned to the 9th 
September following. At the adjourned meeting, Mr. 
Edward Baines occupied the chair. Mr. Stenson read a 
reporr, showing the necessity ofa temperance society, and 
proposed ihat the following declaration should be signed 
by every ]>erson who became a member of the society : — 

"Y/e, whose names are subscribed, believing that in- 
temperance with its attendant evils, is promoted by the 
prevailing opinions and practices v/ith respect to the use 
of intoxicating liquors, and that decided means of re- 
formation are indispensible, do voluntarily agree to abstain 
from tlie use of distilled spirits ourselves, (except for 
medicinal purposes), to disuade others from using them, 
and by all proper means to discountenance the causes and 
practices of iiitemperance. The Rev. James Fawcett 
proposed, that the words " and from the use of all intoxi- 



THii surrou:nding district. 367 

1830. 

eating liquors in public houses " be introduced after the 
words " Medicinal purposes." The gener:\l feeling of the 
meeting was in favour of the original declaration, and Mr. 
Fawccrt withdrew his amendment. A provisional com- 
mittee was then appointed. After the lapse of about four 
years — during v.-hich great exertions v/cre made to direct 
public attention to the evils of intemperance — the principles 
of total abstinence from all intoxicating liquors began to be 
advocated, as necessary for the effectual reformation of 
drunkards, and the accomplishment of the great objects 
for M-hich the society was established — the cure and pre- 
vention of habits of intemperance. A pledge to this 
effect v/as then introduced, and from that time until June, 
1S35, persons could join the society by signing either of 
the two declarations- At a ])ublic meeting in the Music 
hall, it was tlicn decided to use the teetotal pledge only, 
as it is now generally designated. This society has been 
instrumental, under the blessing of God, in reclaiming 
hundreds of drunkards, and preventing many more from 
acquiring habits of drinking. The good which it has done 
can never be fully estimated. The society som.e time ago 
purchased the Stone chnpel, in St. Peter's-street, Avhich has 
been converted into a Temperance hall. 

Sept. 20th. At the annual meeting of the Leeds Mechanics' 
Institute, held at the Court-house, Dr. Vrilliamson in the 
chair, Henr}"- Brougliam, Esq , delivered a most eloquent 
speech Sept. O-Srd. A public meeting of the inhabit- 
ants of the borough of Leeds v.-rs Iield in the Coloured 
Cloth Hall "To take into consideration the propriety of 
preparing an address to the throne, and petitions to both 
houses of parliament, prajdng for the total abolition of 
Negro slovery in the British colonies." The address and 
petitions were agreed to unanimously. Chistop'.ier Beckett, 
Esq , the mayor, })resided, and the meeting was addressed 
by George Rawson, Esq. ; Wm, Hey, Esq. : the Rev. Thos. 
Scales; the Rev. E. W. Hamilton; lord Morpeth; Henry 
Brougham, Esq. ; .lames Richardson, Esq. ; John Clapham, 

Esq., the vicar oi* Leeds, and others. Sept ^Sth. A great 

public dinner was given at the Commercial buildings, 
Leeds, to lord 3Iorpeth and Henry Brougham, Esq. in 
celebration of their return to parliament for the county of 

York. T. W. Tottie, Esq., presided. The Halifax 

literary and philoFtophicalsociet)', with a museum attached, 
was established in the month of September. 

Oct. Sfh. Immense sensation was caused in Lcerls by the 
apprehension on a charge of bigamy, of John Stanley, of 



368 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1830. 

Crimbles lodge, Camp-road, a most respectable wool 
merchant and broker. It appears that on the 16th of June, 
1829, at Knaresbro', Mr. Stanley was married to Ann 
Daniel, governess to Mr. William Gott's children. On the 
7th of October, lS30,a bustling good lookmg female, at- 
tended by her son, aged 22 years, arrived iii Leeds from 
Cumberwell, near London. She brought a letter to a res- 
pectable resident, and immediately introdaced herself as 
the ^.vife of Mr. Stanley, whom she married in 1806. She 
stated al^o, that she had l)orne him eleven children, six of 
whom were living, and the eldest of whom accompanied 
her. In support of these and other allegations, she pro- 
duced a regular marriage certificate. Mr. Sowrey, the 
constable, had charge of the prisoner at Crimbles house, 
where Mr. Gott and Mr, Barr were taking the usual in- 
formation in such cases. By some means or other the 
prisoner was suffered to escape, and was not heard of 
afterwards. 

The new beer act, passed in the lltli George IV., 
which repealed the duty of 10s. per barrel on ale and 
porter, both of which are commonly called beer, and which 
authorized the sale of beer on the premises, the |dealer 
taking out a licence annually, for which he is to pay 
£2 2s., and a further sum of £2 if the parties brew the 
liquor, came into operation on the 11th October, 1830. 

In the month of October, an ancient British celt (stone 
battle axe) was found bj^ Mr. Thomas Pitt, of Hudders- 
field, on the south of the mount and above the Meltimers, 
near Pike Law, one of the highest points in the interesting 
and romantic district around Holmfirth. It measures 
rather more than seven inches in length, and about three 
inches in breadth at the broadest part. Its weight is 2 lb. 
10 oz.; in shape it nearly resembles the common axe used 
at the present day ; the cutting edge is wedge shaped, and 
about three inches broad on the face; the other end is 
rounded, and about five and a half inches in circumference. 

November. By the event of the French revolution a 
great impulse was given to the reforming spirit in Britain, 
and the demands for an improvement of the par''iamentary 
representation became very strong. The consequence was 
the retirement of the Yfeilington administration in Novem- 
ber, and the formation of a Whig cabinet, headed by earl 
Grey. The agitations of the time were much increased by 
a system of noctiirnal fire-raising, which spread through 
the south of England, and caused the destruction of a vast 
quantity of agricultural produce and machinery, and was 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 369 

lb30. 
greatly ag'gravated by the general distress ^vhicll 

prevailed. IVov. ^nd. The highest tide known for mauy 

years occurred at Hull, \^heu there was twciity-uiue feet 
four inches of water at the Humber duck gates. 

Nov. i5th. A shucking accident occurred at Stare bridge 
mill, near I'arnley, in the occupation of Messrs. Pawson and 
Son, cloth manufacturers, b}' the bursting of the engine boiler. 
Two of the workmen were killed, and several others 

seriously injured. Nov. 'j2nd. Mr. Brougham's elevation 

to the Avoolsack, and a peeiage, caused a vacancy for the 
count}' of York. On the 7th of December, the eleciion came 
on in the castle yard at York. P'rancis Hav/ksworth Fa\vke.s, 
Esq. of Farnley, proposed, and John Charles Ilamsden, Esq. 
M.F. for Maltoij, seconded the nomination of Sir Joha 
Johnstone. An elector out of the crowd proposed, and a 
butcher named John Saville, seconded the no.ijinatiou of 
George Strickland. A sho'>v of hands was taken vs hich was 
given in favour of Mr. Strickland. Sir J. Joinistone demand- 
ed a poll, which took place the fo. lowing day, about two 
o'clock, Mr. Strickland withdrew from the contest. The 
votes then stood as follows : — 

Sir John Johnstone 331 

George Strickland, Esq 101 

Mr. StapyUon, and D«^iel Sykes, Esq., two other can- 
didates had Avithcirawu previous to the election. 

Mr. Vrilliain Hirst passed the lieeds bankruptcy court. 

By the turn out of the cotton spinners in the latter pnrt 
of this year, in and around Ashton, Dunkintield, Staley- 
bridge, &c., iifty mills were at a stand, and about 30,000 
work-people out of empioyiuent. This led to riot and 
tumult, v/hich caused the government to issueaproclansation 
'•prohibiting the use of lire-arms and illegal meetings." 
The usual nn/de adopted by the rioters was to set fire to 
property. At the special commission in Hampshire, up- 
■wards of 300 persons were tried lor arson and other 
crimes. At several places in the "West- Riding of York- 
shire, viz: Barn.sley, Leathiey near Otley, Baildou,&G., &c., 
numerous buildings and stacks were set on fire, su])}josed to 

be done by incendiaries. Dec. ■20th. Vriiliam Hey, Esip 

having resigned the office of surgeon to the Leeds Infirmary, 
his son William Hey, jun., was elected in his ];lace. 

Dec. 3lst. The Avoolien mill at Woodhouse, near Hud- 
dersSeld, the properly of John "Whitacre, Esq., was de- 
stroyed by lire. The damage was estimated at £10,000. 
A fireman named Jolm Hartley, was killed by a fall from a 
ladder-. 



370 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1831. 

1831. The census of this year showed that the number 
of inhabited houses in the tov/nship of Leeds, was 15,001,. 
and in the borough, 25,458. The houses building in the 
township was 178 : in the borough, 2/3. The uninhabited 
houses in the township was 1,064; in the borough, 1,862. 
The number of males in the township was 34,672; in the 
borough, 60,473. The number of females in the township 
was 36,930; in the borough, 62,920. The total population 
of the township was 7L602 ; in the borough, 123,393;, 
and the total increase of the population of the borough, 
from 1821, was 39,617, or 473^ per centnm. 

On the 1st of January a cotton mill at Skipton, belong- 
ing to Mr. John Dewhirst, was destroyed by fii-e; 
damage about £8,000. This lire was supposed to be the 

work of an incendiar}^ Jan. 12th. The extensive 

premises of Messrs. BuUman and Son, upholsterers, in 
Commercial-street, Leeds, then opposite the Leeds library, 
were destroyed by lire, damage more than £6,000. 

Feb. 6(;li. Died at Hastings, the lion. F. W. Robinson, 
only son of lord Grantham, in the 21st year of his age. 
By this death the onlj'- son of viscount Goderich, then in 
his fourth year, became heir presumptive to the earldom of 
de Grey, the barouy of Grantham, and a baronetcy. 

Feb. 10th. A j^ublic meeting took place at the Coloured 
Cloth hall, Leeds, John Marshall, Esq , ia the chair, to 
petition parliament in favour of parliamentary and 
economical reform, and particularly for the grant of the 
elective franchise to Leeds and other populous places. 
The following gentlemen took a prominent part in the 
proceedings, viz. : — Mr. Ilawson, Mr. Wailes, barrister- 
at-law; Mr. John Marshall, jun. ; Mr. John Clapham,, 
Mr. S. Clapham, Mr. John Peele Clapham, Mr. Baines, 
Mr. E. Baines, jun., Mr. Luccock, Mr. Tetlcy, Mr. John 
Heaps, and Mr. Richardson. Meetings for similar objects 
were held about the same time at Wakefield, Halifax, 
and other places. Tliis petition Avas presented in March, 
and was signed by 17,200 persons. The petition prayed 
for vote by ballot, and triennial parliaments. 

Feb. 15th. llorc than 200 of the weavers in the employ 
of Messrs. Gott and Sons, Leeds, turned out at this time 
for an advance of wages, and continued on the strike 
until the 4th of October, exactly thirty-three weeks 
from its commencement. Messrs. Gott's met a deputation 
from the workmen, and after a most frank and amicable 
discussion, agreed to give the advanced prices which 
had originally been required, and which amounted to 5d. 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 371 

1831. 

perstriugon the first eight sets of gears, and a correspond- 
ing increase on the other sets, with the customary 8d. per 
web for knotting and cleaning. Between five and six thou- 
sand pounds were contributed in the town, for the support 
of the weavers during the strike. In May, Messrs. Gott's 
employed some weavers from a distance, this led to 
serious riots and the workmen had to be conducted to 

their homes by constables. St. Patrick's chapel, 

York-road, Leeds, was founded on the 1st of March, 1831, 
and opened on the r2th of July, 1832 : John Child, Esq. was 
the architect. It is in the pointed style of the 14th century, 
and is ornamented with turrets and crosses, and lighted by 
lancet windows. The small lantern tower in the centre of 
the roof has five lancet windows, of three lights each. The 
interior contains a gallery, Avith richly ornamented panels 
in front. Opposite the altar a pelican is represented feed- 
ing its young, on one side of which is a wheal en sheaf, and 
on the other a vine branch. The windows contain borders 
of stained glass, and in the centre light of the triple win- 
dow is a cross of another coloured glass, over which is 
represented the hol}^ dove. The other parts of the interior 
are finished in character with what has already been 
described. Vrithin this chapel is a monument to the late 
Dr. Underhill, who was for thirty years jiriest in Leeds. 
The cost of erection, including land, amounted to £"2,500. 
The Eev. M. O'Donnell is the priest. 

3Iar. 1st. Lord John Russell m.oved for leave to bring 
a bill into the House of Commons, for amending the 
representation of the people in England and "Scales. He 
proposed to disfranchise sixty boroughs with a less 
population in 1821 than 2,000. Forty-seven boroughs 
with a less population than 4,000 in 1821, were to loose 
one member. Seven large towns including Leeds, Shef- 
field, Birmingham, and Manchester, v/ere to have two 
members each; and twenty other towns, including 
Yfakefield, Halifax, Bradford, and Huddersfield, were 
to return one member each. London to have eight 
more representatives. Yorkshire to be divided into 
three parts, each Riding to send two members. Devon- 
shire, Cumberland, Lancashire, Staffordshire, &c., four 
mem.bers. In cities and boroughs, all who paid a rent 
of £10 a year, to be entitled to vote. The 40s. free- 
holders were to be allowed to vote. The franchise was 
to be extended to copyholders of £10 a year; and lease- 
holders for tv/enty-one years, not renewed within two 
years, and all leaseholders for twenty years, b}'- whom 



372 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1831. 

property was held of the value of £50. After a spirited 

debate of seven nii^htf^, the bill was read a first time. 

(March 14th). A division took place on the 22nd March, 

for the second reading, v/hen it was agreed to b}' 302, 

against 301. 

On the 1 9th of April the third reading was lost by 
299 against 291. In consequence of tliis vote, the 
ministers withdrew the bill, and advised his majesty to 
dissolve parliament, which he did on the 22nd of April. 
A general election immediately followed. 

On Thursday the 3rd of March, Richard Norton, pay- 
master's clerk belonging to the 10th Hussars, hanged 
himself in a bed-room of the Horse and Trumpet inn, 
Briggate, Leeds. His funeral was appointed to take 
place in Quarry- hill church yard, on the Sunday after- 
noon following ; and, as he was carried to the grave 
with the usual military honours, a great concourse of 
people flocked to the place of interment. 'Ihe Rev. Mr. 
Wardle, who officiated, declined reading the burial 
service over the body, and was in consequence subjected 
to a great deal of abuse. The body was left in the 
church all night. On the Monday afternoon, Mr. Wardle 
again attended at the church in the performance of his 
clerical duties. There Avere several corpses to bury; 
and immense crowds (said to exceed 5,000 persons) 
again assembled, A party of the 3rd Dragoons was also 
present. On entering the church yard, he found every 
part of it filled with agitated spectators : the church was 
also crammed. Mr. Wardle taking into consideration 
the excitement of the multitude, and fearing tiie con- 
sequences which a persistance in his refusal to go through 
the service might occasion, performed it much to the 
satisfaction of the multitude, Avho instantly dispersed. 

Mar. 10th. A ])ublic meeting of the inhabitants of the 
borough of Leeds was held in the Cloth Hall yard, "To 
consider the propriety of petitioning in favour of lord 
John Russell's reform bill." The mayor having declined 
to call the meeting, John Marshall, jun., Esq., occupied 
the chair, and the resolutions were passed with a 
great deal of unanimity. Mar. 22nd. A county meet- 
ing was held in the castle yard, York, for the same purpose. 

April 6th. The freedom of the city of York was pre- 
sented to lord Brougham. After the learned lord had 
taken the foreman's oaths, R, Davis, town clerk, presented 
his lordship with a copy of the oaths, engrossed on vellum, 
and contained in a box made from the wood of the cele- 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 373 

1831 

brated Cowlhorpe oak, growing on Ihe estate of the hon. 
E. E. Petre. The box was five inches long, by three and a 
half broad, and two inches deep, beautifully mounted with 
silver gilt both inside and out, and the oak wood brilliantly 
polished. In the centre of the lid was a square shield, on 
which was engraved the arms of Lord Brougham, and the 
following inscription : — " The freedom of the city of York, 
presented to the Right Hon. Henry Lord Brougham and 
Yaux, Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, in testimony 
of the feelings of admiration and respect entertained by 
the corporation of York, for the unrivalled talents andmi- 
deviating patriotism of that eminent statesman. April, 
1S3L The Right Honourable Lord Dundas, (third time) 
mayor." April 13th. At a meeting of the Leeds con- 
servatives, held at the office of the Leeds Intelligencer, 
Henry Hall, Esq., in the chair, a declaration was unani- 
mously agreed to, expressing "unequivocal dissent both 
from the principle and the details of the reform bill 
brought into parliament by his majesty's ministers." At a 
meeting of the Leeds corporation, held at the Court-house 
on the following day, "a petition to the House of Com- 
mons against the reform bill, was unanimously adopted." 

May 6tb. The election of four members of parliament 
for the county of York, took place in the castle yard, at 
York. The hon. Sir Edward Vavasour proposed and John 
Marshall, jun., Esq., seconded the nomination of lord 
Morpeth; F. H. Fawkes, Epq., proposed and Sir George 
Cayley seconded Sir John Johnstone; M. Wyvill, Esq., 
proposed and the Hon. and Rev. William Herbert, rector 
of SpofForth, seconded John Charles Ramsden, Esq.; 
Francis Cholmley, Esq., proposed and George Rawson, Esq., 
seconded George Strickland, Esq. No other candidate 
being proposed, the high sheriff declared lord Morpeth, 
Sir J. V. B. Johnstone, John Charles Ramsden, Esq., and 
George Strickland, Esq., duly elected. The result of the 
general elections gave the ministers a majority of 369 to 
233 in favour of the second reading of the reform bill. 

The following is the inscription on a valuable piece of 
plate presented to T. W. Tottie, Esq., of Leeds, by the 
representatives for Yorkshire: — 

" To Thomas William Tottie, Esq., this cup is presented, as a token 
of €steem and gratitude, for his services, professionally and friendly, at 
the general election for the entire county of York, May, 1831, by 
his obliged and attached friends, Lord Morpeth, Sir John V. B. John- 
stone bart., J. C. Ramsden, Esq., and George Strickland, Esq." 

May 13th. Died, aged 52 years, Roger Holt Leigh, Esq., 

32 



374 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1«31. 

of Leeds. He left Leeds on the 3rd inst. to give his vote 
as a freeman of the borough of Wigan, and was so mal- 
treated by the mob ou the 4th, that he died in consequence 
of the injuries received. His brother, Sir Robert Holt 
Leigh, bart., of Hindley hall, M-as also roughly used. The 
deceased was elected a common council man of Leeds, on 
the 1st September, 1803. He was one of the patrons of 
the vicarage of Leeds ; a governor of the Leeds free gram- 
mar school ; a trustee of the charity of pious uses; and. 
president of the committee of the Leeds public library. He 
was a strenuous supporter of almost every charity in the 
town. After the interment of JMr. Leigh, his friends im- 
mediately started a subscription to erect some memorial 
of him, the result of which was amonument to his memory 
by Mr. Westmacott, jun., which was subsequently placed in 
the Leeds parish church. It is an excellent work of art. 
The desisn consists of a delicately white marble five feot 
statue of the deceased in a sitting posture, in his civic 
robe, having an open volume in his hand, inscribed " 1688." 
On the tablet benealh the statue is this inscription : — 

" SaCREO TO THE Jl EMORY OF ROGER HOLT LeIGH, ESQUiRE, TWENTY-SEVEN 

years a membkr of the lorporation, and a strenuous supporter of the 
Institutions of the i;orough of Leeds. 

"He was a warm atlvccate of the established church, an uncom- 
promising defender of the glorious constitution of 1688, a consistent 
patriot, and a faithful friend. During the general election of the year 
18.31, whilst engaged in the exercise of his francliise as a burge.ss of 
Wigan, his native place, he was so severely injiiied by an excited 
populace, that he died at Hindley hall, the seat of his eldest and only 
surviving brother, Sir Robert Holt Leigh, bart., May 13th, 183), aged 
52 years. As a memorial of their esteem and admiration of his in- 
flexible public integrity and private worth, his numerous friends have 
caused this monument to be erected. Mr. Leigh's remains were in- 
terred in the f.imily vault at Up Holland Abbey church, in the county 
of Lancaster." 

May 16th. Died, at Halton, near Leeds, Thomas RoUin- 
son, gardener. He was 100 years old on the 27th January, 
1831. With the exception of the loss of his eyesight a 
short time before his death, he had enjoyed uninterrupted 
good health. Lie had a perfect recollection of visiting the 
encampment on CliflPord moor, in 1745 ; and many other 
events of that period were frequent subjects of his aged 
narration. He lived to see four generations of his own 
descendants, who all attended him to his grave. Though 
humble in life, he adorned his station for more than a cen- 
tury by a life of integrity, sobriety, and iudustr3\ 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 375 

1831. 

May 27th. A verv violent thunder storm occurred at 
Leeds. The electric fluid knocked down one of the chimneys 
of the residence of Mr. Barnard Brown, of Burmantofts, 
and afterwards passed through the roof to the bell 
wires, several of which fell to the floor in a state of fusion. 
The wires acting as conductors, passed through nearly 
every room in the house, turning the walls at the angles of 
the wires to the colour of brimstone, interspersed with 
black, and filling many parts of the apartments with smoke. 
The persons in the house sustained no injury. 

On Sunday, the 5th of June, the body of Thomas Rothery, 
a dyer, (whose death was occasioned by his having fallen into 
a dye-pan filled with heated li([uor, in the dye-house of 
Messrs. Scarth and Sons), vvas interred in the burial ground 
of the e-jtiscopal cha})el, at "Wortley; and on the Tuesday 
night following, was stolen from the grave. A Mr. John 
Hodgson, clerk to Mr. Gaunt, solicitor, was taken into cus- 
tody for stealing the body, he having had it conveyed to Mr. 
Gaunt's office, where it was found. He was tried at the Leeds 
borough sessions, on July 4th, for body stealing ; and, after 
a four hours' patient trial, was found guilty. He w^as sen- 
tenced to be imprisoned in the castle of York for the space 
of six weeks, and to enter into recognizances to keep the 
peace for two years; himself in ,£100, and two sureties of 
£50 each. After the defendant had been found guilty, he 
stated "tliat he was connected with a medical man in the 
taking of the body, and it was for the purpose of mutually 
dissecting it. He could not give the name of the medical 
man without utterly ruining him, and that if he was sent 
to prison, it would ruin his prospects in life for ever." 

June 8th. A society called " The Leeds True Blue Con- 
stitutional Association" was formed. The principal 
speakers were Henry Hall, Esq., the chairman; M. T. 
Sadler, Esq., M. P.; Riilph Markland, Esq., and the Rev. 
J. A. Rhodes, of Horsforth hall. ^June 13tli. A nu- 
merous and highly respectable meeting of the inhabitants 
of Leeds, v/as held at the Court-house, the mayor in the 
chair, " to consider the propriety of originating such 
measures as may contribute to the present and permanent 
relief of fiie Irish poor, (in Ireland) who are suffering the 
mostappa ling distress from famine and disease." A petition 
to the House of Commons ^vas agreed to, praying that 
relief might be granted from the public purse. Besides 
which, a committee was formed to collect subscriptions 
from the inhabitants of Leeds. A large sum was soon 
collected. June 20th. The foundation stone was 



376 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1831. 

laid of a new college for the education for the ministry 
of young men of the Independent denomination of dis- 
senters, at Undercliffe, near Bradford, by John Holland, Esq., 
of Slead house, near Halifax. A great number of people 
assembled to witness the ceremony. The Rev. Thomas 
Scales, of Leeds, commenced the service by reading- the 
Latin inscription upon the plate to be fixed in the stone, 
and the following literal translation in English: — 

"Consecrated to the service of Gocl. This building, preceded by an 
institution denominated Idle academy, was erected in order that, when 
its perpetuity has been secured, pious and talented young men may 
continue to be educated gratuitously, and prepared for the gospel 
ministry: the first stone of which was laid by John Holland, Esq., one 
of the treasurers, on the 20th day of June, and the first year of the 
reign of William the Fourth, 1831. 

"PreSRNt. — Mrs. Mary Bacon, the pious donor of the site and sur- 
rounding estate; WiUiam Vint, tutor Members of the Com- 
mittee. — Ministers: Abraham Clarkson, secretary; Thomas 
Scales, James Scott, Joseph Stemus Crisp, John White, Henry Bean, 
James Pridie. William Tiler. Laymen: Christopher Anderson, co- 
treasurer; James Hoatson, John Horsfall, J. Sugden, Joseph 
Hinchliffe, Robert Milligan, William Baldwin, Edwin Firth, Robert 
Howitt, John Peele Clapham, James Garnett, John Aked, Thomas 
Clapham, James Burnley, Samuel Hodgson, and John Clark, architect, 
on the day when the foundation was laid." 

The Rev. R. "W. Hamilton, of Leeds, delivered an address 
suitable to the occasion. The site of the building and the 
surrounding estate, to the value of upwards of £3,000, were 
presented for the purpose by Mrs. Bacon, of Bradford. (For 
a further account of this college, see page 199 of the 
' Annals.') 

June 24th. Lord John Russell again introduced the reform 
bill to the House of Commons. The debate on the second 
reading commenced on Monday, the 4th July, and ter- 
minated on the Thursday morning following, at four o'clock. 
The numbers were, for the second reading, 369; against, 
233 — m-ijority, 136. The reform bill passed its final stage 
in the House of Commons on the 22nd September, after a 
discussion of three nights continuance, by a majority of 109. 

After the passing of the reform bill through the House 
of Commons, meetings were held in various parts of the 
country to petition tne House of Lords in favour of the 
bill. A meeting for this object was held on the 28th Sep- 
tember, in the Cloth Hall yard, in Leeds, John Marshall, 
Esq., in the chair. On the 8fh of October, the House of 
Peers rejected the reform bill by a majority of 41. On the 
12th ot October, a county meeting was held at York, afc 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 377 

1831. 

which the county memhers attended, when an address 
was voted to his majesty in favour of the reform bill. On 
the news of the rejection of the bill by the peers 
reaching- Derby, Nottingham, Bristol, and other places, 
dreadful riots occurred, and at the latter place several 
lives were lost, and a vast amount of property destroyed. 

June 29th. The ceremony of opening the Huddersfield 
and Upper Agbrigg intirmary, the first stone of which was 
laid on Monday, the 29 th of June, 1829, by John Charles 
Ramsden, Esq., M.P., of Newby park, took place this day, 
in the presence of a vast concourse of spectators. The 
iniirmary is an elegant and substantially built stone edifice. 
The principal front is ornamented in the centre by a mag- 
nificent portico built in the Grecian Doric style of archi- 
tecture, supported by four massive pillars, and ascended 
to by nine steps. The length of the front is 120 feet, and 
the wings at each end are sixty feet deep. A handsome 
wall and pallisadiug incloses a large plot of land surround- 
ing the building. The building is replete with every con- 
venience for carrying out the objects of the charity. 

July. The sexton of Dewsbury parish church found an 
ancient silver coin, in good preservation, in digging a grave 
on the south side of that edifice. It was a half groat of 
Edward IV., and as the motto indicated, was coined at 
Canterbury. The legend when complete has been as 
follows :—06rerse.— EDWARD DI. GRA. REX. ANGL. Z. 
ERA. i^3ve/-5e.— POSVIDEVMxVUDITORE. (Auditorem). 
MEVM. Liner cirde.— CI VITAS CANTOR. 

July 7th. iNIr. William Cobbett was tried in the court o 
king's bench for publishing a seditious libel inci'ing the 
people to arms, in the Weekly Regi.^ter. The jury, after 
being locked up fifteen hours, stated that it was impossible 
for them to be unanimous in their verdict, and were 
discharged. 

July 12 th. The roof of Woodchurch, near Dewsbury, 
fell in with a tremendous crash, and buried the nave, 
pulpit, pews, &c.. in the ruins. On hearing of this mis- 
fortune, Mr. Scatcherd, the antiquarian, hastened to the 
spot, and states, in a letter which subsequently appeared 
in the Leeds Intelligencer, that : — 

"The chancel was uninjured, except a.s tn the arch, dividing it from 
the nave, which was much .shaken. The light now diffused through 
the chancel roof, enabled the visitor to perceive that its walls were 
hollow, or rather that they had, at .some after period, been lathed and 
plastered, (or "stoothed," a.s the tertn i.s), and what was more remark- 
able, it enabled the antiquary to discover the reason of this alteration. 



378 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1831. 

Upon the ancient walls, from the ceilino: downwards, and from the arch 
to the eastern wall, some old black letter characters were "diralj 
visible," in separate compartments, siirrounded with antique scrolls or 
borders. They were all in Latin, but so darkened and concealed were 
they, by the "stoothing," that the word "Thomas," alone could be 
made out. In fact, the rotten state both of the roof and ceilin^jr, in- 
creased considerably the diiticulty of the task. The body of the 
church being nearly rebuilt, I revisited Woodchurch on February 1st, 
1832, and ha\'e been repaid for my trouble. The arch before-men- 
tioned it was necessary to take down ; and, in putting up a new one, 
the workmen were compelled to displace some of the lath and plaster 
of the chancel. Judge m}'' surprise when I perceived a portion only 
of the ancient interior ! It now appears that the whole of these walls 
(or nearly so) have been beautifully painted and gilded, having on 
them roses, white and red, tulips, anemonies or poppies, and other 
flowers; grapes, peaches, and various choice fruits, with leaves and 
other decorations, the colours of which, even yet, are delightful. For 
what purpose was all this charming work of art concealed by a casing 
of lath and plaster.^ I can solve the question by supposing the black 
letter characters relate to that which, even by Catholic Harry the 8th, 
was considered superstitious or idolatrous, and that policy suggested 
this mode of putting it out of sight ; and, certain I am, that nothing 
short of imperious necessity could have effected an alteration so 
singular, and. apparently, useless. Burton informs us in his Monas- 
tacon, that "in the 31st of Henry Sth, the sight of Nostel priory was 
given to Thomas Leigh, doctor of laws, and one of the king's visitors 
of religious houses;" and its subordinate cell at " Wodekirke " being 
evidently destroyed at the same period, it is highly probable that the 
site of this also, was given to Dr. Leigh. My reason for this belief 
arises from the name of tho Kirk fair, which is still called "Leigh" 
or "Lee," "Fair;" besides the recollection of family connections 
between the ancient family of Leigh, and those of certain noblemen, 
now lords of manors in this vicinity. It is certain, however, that the 
preference of lath and plaster to whitewash, did not answer the expec- 
tations of the black canons at " Wodekirke " in the middle of the 
15th century." 

The name of Woodchurch sufficiently testifies both to 
its character and antiquity. It designates a very ancient 
fabric, composed of the usual materials of which even 
sacred buildings were constructed in remote ages, and 
devoted at a very early period to the worship of God. 
Woodchurch was noticed by Leland, who says of it, "At 
Woodchurch, in Morley Wapentake, near Dewsbury, was 
a cell of black canons from Nostel, valued at seventeen 
pounds per annum." Although Woodchurch was however 
but a cell to the prior}'', the remaining foundations prove 
it to have been of considerable comparative extent. The 
church was conventual as well as parochial ; was 
supposed to be possessed of considerable sanctity, and 



THE SUllROUNDING DISTRICT. 379 

1831. 

enjoyed a very extensive religious renown. After the 
falling in of the edifice, Mr. Scateherd took drawings 
of the principal objects of interest to the antiquarian, and 
thus describes them : — 

" In the east window of Woodkirk chancel there are five shields ot 
arms in broken painted glass, but so mads up from the broken glass of 
other windows, that little can be gathered from them. There are two 
birds facing each other, apparently intended for bustards or large 
hawks; but, as I believe, really intended for eagles. The arms of 
Sootliill, of Soothill hall, were an eagle di.>?played, argent, and these 
birds have been argent; but they are not displaced, vvhich causes me 
to doubt whether Sir John Topcliffe may not have had these birds (if 
bustards) for his supporters. In one of these shields, on a piece of 
glass which seems once to have been silvered, is a saint upon a wheel 
cross in the agonies of martyrdom. A hand appears over his head^ 
which I imagine has belonged to another figure, perhaps to the Roman 
Lictor. The tower of Woodchurch, vvhich has evidently been rebuilc 
since the daj-s of the black canons, displays a portion of the zig zag 
or chevron arch moulding Its bells, according to tradition, onc-a be- 
longed to Ardsley, but this 1 doubt for reasons mentioned in my 
history, [of Morley.J I nov/ come to the most amusing part of my 
narrative. King Henry I. granted the canons of Nostel the privilege 
of holding a fair there at the feast of St. Oswald, (August 5th), the 
two preceding and two following days- In this reign, Woodkirke, as 
a cell of black canons, was also founded; and it is probable, if not 
certain, that there was a similar grant of a fair to this convent. This 
fair, however, which, tradition says, was once held for three 
weeks, was about the time of St. Bartholomew, September 5th. 
The fair of St. Oswald, at Nostel, appears to have been suppressed by 
John de Insula (De Lisle) on account of the riots and disorrlers with 
which it was attended. The court roll of the manor of Wakefield 
gives some curious scenes as occurring at the fair beloui^ing to the 
canons of Woodkirk. One John, of Newcastle, com.plained of John 
de Heton, for an assault and battery, at the same fair, to his damage 
of 100 .shillings ; and one William, (the) Carter, complained that the 
said John had come into his stall at the fair, and had overturned it, 
by which he lost twenty gallons of beer worth 2s. 4d. ; a cask value 
12d.; and a sack worth 8d. The covering of his stall was also torn, 
damage 12d. ; and other injuries. Total loss forty .shillings — a great- 
sum of money in those days. But I Jiave something still more re- 
markable to say about Wodekirke, or Leigh fair, which is that on St. 
Bartholomew's day, the scholars from the grammar schools of Leeds,. 
Wakefield, See, were brought to this place for disputation, or to ascer- 
tain their proficiency in cla.s.sical learning, annually, down to the early 
part of last century. W^hen first 1 gained this information — coming 
as it did, from very creditable, but uneducated old men, I doubted the 
truth of their forefathers tradition, but finding that the fair once lasted 
about three weeks, and that the last day was on St. Bartholomew — the 
patron or tutelary saint of scholars — reflecting too on the accounts of 
Stowe, Lilly the astrologer, and others, I am novv as sure that these 



380 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1831. 

disputations were at Lee fair as if I had seen them — for how could 
old labourers and mechanics know anything about St. Bartholomew 
or the usages on his day? One old man, who died about 1780, and 
from whom my informant had his account, related that his father, 
whsn a boy, was present daring a disputation, and had well nigh been 
knocked on the head b,7 a beadle — for, happening to ask one of the 
bo3's who stood up the Latin woids for certain articles which I dare 
not myself put, even in that language, in this place ; the gentleman in 
gold laced robe and cocked hat, applied his truncheon so forcibly to 
the 'pericranium' of the catechiser, as marie him remember his im- 
pudence and indecency all his life afterwards. My respectable neigh- 
bour and tenant, Mr. Mark Hepworth, an enthusiast in antiquities 
like raj'self, from his childhood, had this last narration from two very 
aged perj^ons, Joseph Bold and Richard Moreby, men of good character, 
who died above thirty years ago, as appears by the Woodchurch 
register." 

July 13th. During a thunderstorm at Huddersfield, the 
electric fluid struck the White Lion iun, in Cross Church- 
street, melted part of the gas pipe, and set the gas on fire. 
It pursued the course of the bell wires, which it melted, 
and went out by one of the upper back windows, the 
glass and woodwork of which was shivered and burnt 
to pieces. A servant and little boy Avere knocked down, 

lout soon recovered the shock. On Saturday, the 

30th July, Leeds and its immediate neighbourhood was 
visited by a thunder storm between two and four o'clock. 
An immense quantity of rain fell in a very short time. 
The highways and streets were literally converted into 
rivers ; and in Briggate, some of the market people had 
no little difficulty in preventing their various articles of 
sale being contributory to the Aire, the volume of which very 
soon nearly doubled. The wa'cr did much damage to 
l3uildings and goods in cellars in various parts of the town. 

July 19th. William Payne, Esq., of Shadwell grange, 
near Leeds, being on a visit to Australia on a farming' 
speculation, was murdered by armed ruffians. 

Aug. 15th. An Auxiliary peace society was formed in 
Leeds, at a meeting held at the Commercial buildings. 

Sept. 8th. The celebration of the coronation of their 
majesties king William IV. and Adelaide his queen, took 
place this day. At Leeds, the morning was ushered in 
by the ringing of bells and other demonstrations of a 
general holiday. About 500 Sunda)' school teachers of 
Ijoth sexes and all denominations, partook of a public 
l)reakrast in the Music hall. About ten o'clock, a pro- 
cession of the mayor, aldermen, assistants, clergy, staff 
of the First West" York militia, several orders of Odd- 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 381 

1831. 

Fellows, and others, was formed at the Court-house, 
and proceeded to the parish church, where an aj)pro- 
priate sermon was preached by the vicar, Rev, Richard Fa w- 
cett, M.A. About 12 o'clock, the 2nd dragoon guards, or 
queen's bays, under the command of colonel Hay, 
the detachment of royal horse artillery, under the com- 
mand of major Dynely, and the Leeds squadron of the 
Yorkshire hussars, commanded by captain Beckett as- 
sembled on Woodhouse moor, where they went through 
various evolutions in the presence of at least 20,000 
persons. After the ceremonies, the officers proceeded to 
the Court-house, to meet the mayor, and partook of an 
elegant light repast which his worship had provided. 
After the military had left the moor, they were succeeded 
by the Sunday school school children, to the number of 
nearly 12,000, who sung the hymns appointed for the 
occasion, and then returned to their respective places of 
worship to take tea. At two o'clock, the gentlemen 
composing the Leeds squadron of the Yorkshire hussars, 
dined together at the Masonic hall, Sternes' buildings. 
At four o'clock, Mr. W. Russum ascended in his magni- 
ficent balloon from the White Cloth Hall yard, to which 
the public were admitted free. The rejoicings were 
much marred by the very unfavourable weather, as at- 
times the rain poured down in torrents. The festivities 
of the day were concluded by a splendid ball in the 
evening at the Assembly rooms. Nearly all the families 
of distinction in the town and neighbourhood were 

present. Sept. 27tli. At a meeting of the Yorkshire 

philosophical society, at York, in the theatre of the 
York><hire museum, under the presidency of the late earl 
Fitzwilliam, then viscount JMilton, a plan was set forth 
by the Rev. W. Vernon Harcourt, for the formation of 
a British association for the promotion of science, the 
object of which should be to give a stronger impulse 
and more systematic direction to scientific enquiry; to 
promote the intercourse of those who cultivate science 
in different parts of the empire with one another and 
with foreign philoso[)hers ; and to obtain a more general 
attention to the objects of science, and a removal of any 
disadvantages of a public kind which impede its progress. 
The association has since held its meetings annually in 
different parts of the kingdom : — 'ast year, (1858), at the 
Leeds Town Hall, under the presidency of professor Owen; 
and the year 1SJ9, at Aberdeen, under the presidency of 
Prince Albert. 



382 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1831. 

Oct. 1st. The new church at High Harrogate was con- 
secrated by the bishop of Chester. William Sheepshanks, 
of Leeds, most liberally presented a clock worth ■£200, 

to be placed in the tower of the church. Oct. 7th. 

The cholera made its appearance iu Hamburgh. On the 
7th November, a vessel arrived from that place to Sun- 
derland, and iu a very short time nure thaa thirty fatal 
cases occurred there. 

Oil Friday, the 11th of November, a box arrived at the 
Bull and Mouth hotel, Leeds, by the duke of Leeds coach, 
from Manchester, containing the dead bodies of a woman 
and a child, addressed " To the He v. Mr. Genes te, Hull, 
per Sijiby packet. To be left until called for. Glass, 
and keep this side up. Nov, lith." On the Monday 
previous, the dead body of a young man was found in 
a box on the Courier coach, at the Rose and Crown inn, 
Leeds, on its transit to the north. An inquest was 
held over the body by Mr. Barr, coroner, when the jury 
returned a verdict that the body was that of Robert 
Hudson, who hanged himself at East Ardsley, that it 
was disinterred and found as above-mentioned. Several 
persons were committed to York on a charge of body- 
stealing. A regular system of burking was brought to 
light. In London, two fellows named Bishop and Williams, 
were executed after making a confession ol their guilt. 

At the Yorkshire spring assizes in the following year, 
John Craig Hodgson, (23); John Crabtree Pickering, 
(25); William Henry Bradley, (19); William Germain (20); 
and James Norman, (20), of Leeds, were tried on a 
charge of unlawfully digging up and disinterring from 
and out of a grave in a church yard at East Ardsley, 
the body of Robert Hudson. Teale, one of the accom- 
plices, turned king's evidence against the prisoners. 
They were all found guilty but Pickering, who was ac- 
quitted. Hodgson was sentenced to be impri.«?oned for 
one year, and lind four sureties for good behaviour for 
two years, in the sum of £50 each, and that he be im- 
prisoned until such sureties were found. Bradley, Ger- 
main, and Norman, were each sentenced to be im- 
prisoned three calendar months, and at the end of that 
time lind four sureties each for one year in the sum of 

.£10 each. Nov^ 21st. A proclamation was issued by 

the king declaring "political unions " illegal and threaten- 
ing proceedings against parties entering into such com- 
binations. Nov. 24th. The typhus- fever was very 

jirevalent at Bradford. Forty cases existed in Wellington- 



THE SURROUNDIKQ DISTRICT. 385 

1831.-1832. 

street alone; at the Ackworth seminary 119 boys and 
girls -were affected by the fever. 

Dec. 1st. A meeting of the Leeds, operatives was held 
at the Court-hou>;e, V m. Hey, Esq., the mayor, presided, 
for the purpose of raising a subscription in behalf of 
the poor of the townshi]) of Leeds. A meeting was 
held on the 10 ih of December, at the L'nion inn, (now the 
Albion hotel,) Briggatc, to promote a ten or eleven hours' 
factory bill. Mr. Oasticr, of Fixby hall, attended, and was 
opposed by the late Mr. Baines. 

The historian of Morley, Mr. Scatcherd, relates that on 
returning from Batley on the 20th of December, J831, 
he saw for the first time in his' life a gipsey liut, at 
night, with its fire blazing on the right of the road, 
and about forty or fifty yards below the "Needless " inn, 
or Cardigan's arms, just by the rivulet which crosses 
the road on this hill side. He says, "The family con- 
sisted of husband, wife, and young daughter, he a tinker 
and grinder, was exercising his evening vocation as a 
fiddler, at the "Needless" inn, accompanied by the girl, 
while his wife, a pretty black eyed woman, (but lost in 
dirt), was sitting solitary guarding the tent, Avith her 
sparklers (over-shadowed M'ith fine black eyelashes) 
fixed in listless indolence upon the fire. She told me 
that she was a native of Somersetshire, but that her 
husband's settlement was at Beverle}', in this county; 
and on my asking if she was not afraid of a storm, and 
still colder Aveather, she replied, that a good »sno\v was 
what she had long Avanted, as it would be both more 
wholesome and pleasant after a good downfall. These 
gipsies, I have ever observed, are as excellent judges of 
situation, as were the monastics of the middle ages. If 
there be one nice sheltered, well watered, drJ^ and 
green spot, in a long lane, or by a road side, they are 
sure to find it. During the summer of 1832, Ave had' 
four or five camps of gipsies along the top of Morley 
spring, in Scotsman-lane, and so many people went to 
see them from all the surrounding villages, that the 
towns officers Avere obliged to send them aAvay at a 
short notice." 

1832. Mr. Scatcherd, of Morley, near Leeds, published 
this year in a compendious form, and at a Ioav price,. 
"Memoirs of the celebrated Eugene Aram, Avho Avas exe- 
cuted for the murder of Daniel Clark, in 1759: Avith 
some account of his family, and other particulars, col- 
lected for the most part thirty years ago." Mr. Scatcherd 



384 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1832. 

relates the expedients to which he resorted when about 
ten years of age to obtain information. At High Harro- 
gate he "scraped acquaintance " with old Mr. Hargrave, 
the publisher of Aram's life. He visited ' crones ' and 
* cronies,' and listened to narratives of all sorts. " I 
previously " says he, " found out an old woman who 
shook hands with Aram in York castle, and knew his 
family : whose eldest brother was his pupil — whose 
■daughter-in-law lived servant to Daniel Clark's widow 
fourteen years, and helped to lay her out. I conversed, 
loo, with a man who knew Aram — with another person 
w^ho lodged at the house of Levi, a jew, (long since 
forgotten) — and another who helped to draw Eugene 
Aram up to his gibbet." Mr. Scatcherd, in this work, 
(which is now very scarce), shows that Aram, whatever 
may have been his culpability, was much less so than 
his accusers; and that he had not a fair trial; that, 
though poor and pennyless, and a child in judicial 
matters, no member of the legal profession tendered 
him the slightest aid ; and that he was convicted and 
hung on evidence which would not now induce a jury 
to give an adverse verdict even on the most trivial 
charge. Scatcherd's opinion on a subject of this kind is 
ef some weight, for he was a most industrious antiquary, 
as is shown in his ' History of Morley ' and other works. 

Jan. 9th. A public meeting was held in the area of 
the mixed Cloth hall, Leeds, " to petition parliament in 
favour of. the bill for limiting the labour of children 
employed in factories to ten hours a day for five days, 
and eight hours on Saturdays." The mayor, Wm. Hey, 
Esq., occupied the chair. The principal speakers were, 
the Rev. Richard Fawcett, vicar ; the Rev. Richard 
"Winter Hamilton, Mr. Oastler, Mr. Smith, surgeon ; C J. 
Thackrah, and M. T. Sadler, Esq., M.P. Public meetings 
shortly after this date were held at Keighley, Bradford, 
iand Dewsbury, for the same object. Mr. Oastler was 
the principal speaker at these meetings. 

Jan. 12th. The celebrated Paganini delighted and as- 
•tonished a very numerous audience at the Leeds Music 
hall, by his performance on the violin. A local paper 
speaks of him and his playing as follows: — "His person 
is a poem. There is something unearthly about him: 
he's a man almost without a shadow : but his face is 
on the whole agreeable, and his smile indicative of great 
good nature. His performances were — " Preludio e Rondo 
.'brillante " ; Recitative e tre aria variate," (played on the 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 385 

1832. 

fourth string only); "The admired Variazioni upon the 
popular Neapolitan canzouetta," " The Carnival of Venice," 
descriptive of the freaks and vagarieei of a Venitian Car- 
nival," all composed by the Signor. "We do not feel our- 
selves competent to speak of what may be termed his 
miracles : ^ve can admire his delightful harmonies, his ca- 
dences, his extraordiu-ary dexterity, the more than musical 
sound of his fiddle. He can make it squeak, and squall, 
and laugh, and cr}', and nearly speak; he can express mirth 
and sorrovr, tragedy, comedy, or farce. His performance 
was hailed v/ith unbounded applause ; but he declined to 
obey the cry of encore." Paganini was brought before the 
Leeds audience by Messrs. Sykes and Son, who liberally 
gave £50 out of the profits to the Leeds poor fund; the 
Signor gave twenty guineas to the same object. 

Feb. A philosophical society was formed at Bram'ey, 

near Leeds. A neat gothic monument was erected iu 

the ^\'akekeld parish church, 18";3, by public subscription, 
in memory of the Rev. Thomas Rogers, of that town, and 
bears the following inscription : — 

" In memory of the Rev. Thomas Rogers, A.M., formerly of Mag- 
dalene college, Cambridge, and thirty-one years Sunday evening 
lecturer in the church, who died the 13th day of i ehruary, 1832, aged 
71 years. This monument was erected by public subscription as a 
tribute of respect for his character, and a record of his long and 
pious life." 

March. The slubbers, epinners, and weavers, in the em- 
ploy of Messrs. Bruce, Dorrington, and Walker, of Leeds, 
struck work with a view to resist an intended reduction in 
the price of their wages, to the amount of 4d. or Gd. per 
string on the lower description of goods. The strike only 
lasted about a fortnight, m hen the masters consented to 
place the men in the same position as they Avere before. 

April 2nd. At llic extremity of the vale of Greenfield, near 
Hudderstield, a dreadful deed of blood wasjjerpetrated. Both 
"William Bradbury, the occupier of a public house known 
by the name of Bill o' Jack.s, and his son ^YiUiam, were 
murdered, and no circumstance has since transpired to 
lead to the conviction of the murderers. The bodies of 
the unfortunate victims were afterwards interred in 

Saddleworth church yard. April 19th. The second 

reading of the reform bill having passed the House of Lords 
by the small majority of nine, a meeting of the inhabitants 
of the borough of Leeds, was held in the area of the 
Coloured Cloth Hall, John Marshall, jun., Esq., in the 

33 



386 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1832. 

chair, when it was resolved to present " an address to 
the king, praying his majesty by the constitutional exercise 
of the royal prerogative in the creation of peers, to secure 
the passing of the reform bill in all its efficiency, and 
thereby prevent a collision between the two houses of 

parliament." April 24th. A great county meeting was 

held in the castle yard, at York, to petition the House of 
Commons in favour of the ten hours' factory bill, intro- 
duced by M. T. Sadler, Esq., and then before a select com- 
mittee of the House. The principal speakers were, Joseph 
Wood, of Sandal ; J. P. Tempest, of Tong hall ; Samuel 
Smith, surgeon, of Leeds; Richard Oastler; George Strick- 
land, Esq., M.P. ; the hon. Wm. Buncombe; M. T.Sadler, 
Esq., M.P. ; Robert Hall, of Leeds; and others. 

On the 7th of May, the ministry of lord Grey was de- 
feated in the House of Lords on the question that the en- 
franchisement schedules of the reform bill should be taken 
into consideration before those for disfranchisement. The 
ministry of lord Grey in consequence resigned. A meeting 
of the inhabitants of Leeds was held on the 14th May, in 
in the area of the Mixed Cloth hall, in pursuance of a re- 
quisition originating with " the Leeds Association for pro- 
moting within the county of York the free return of fit 
representatives to parliament," for the purpose of con- 
sidering the propriety of petitioning the House of Commons 
not to grant any further supplies until the reform bill had 
received the royal assent ; and also of addressing his 
majesty to recall to his councils the only administration in 
which the people have confidence." It is said that about 
20,000 persons attended this meeting. George Rawson, 
Esq., occupied the chair. The principal speakers were, 
George Wailes, John Marshall, jun., Mr. Richardson, solicitor ; 
John Clapham, and Edward Baines. John Foster, a radical, 
who attempted to speak, was a great deal jostled by the 
crowd. Robert Hall attempted to move an amendment to 
the petition, but was prevented from being heard, and 
forced off the steps, and had his clothes torn. A local 
paper (the Intelligencer) reports " that after the petitions 
and address had been adopted by the meeting, Mr. E. 
Baines, jun., proposed threecheersforearlGrey; three cheers 
for reform ; three groans for the duke of Wellington and 
three groans for the queen; (Adelaide) three cheers for lord 
Morpeth; three cheers for lord Brougham; three cheers for 
the majority of the House of Commons ; and three groans for 
the bishops." On the same day a meeting of the Leeds True 
Blue Constitutional Association was held at their com- 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 387 

1832. 

mittee room, Henry Hall, Esq., in the chair, " to vote an 
address to his majesty expressive of our gratitude for his 
decision in resisting the attempt to invade the constitution, 
and our full reliance on his wisdom and firmness in every 
future exigency, with our full determination to support him 
in the choice of a free and enlightened government." The 
principal speakers, besides the chairman, were Benjamin 
Sadler, Lepton Dobson, the Rev. G. S. Bull, Robert Hall, 
and Edwin Smith. Earl Grey and his colleagues returned 
to office, and the House of Lords went into committee on 
the reform bill, commencing with the enfranchisement 
clause. 

May 16th. Between eight and nine o'clock in the evening 
of this day, a mob of between two and three thausand 
persons paraded the principal streets in York, with an 
effigy of the venerable archbishop hoisted on a pole, and 
afterwards set of to his grace's residence, the palace, at 
Bishopthorpe. On reaching the palace lodge, they did con- 
siderable damage to the clock, and soon forced their way 
into the park, the gates of which had been closed against 
them. Having obtained admission, they threw a few stones 
a.t the palace windows, by which a few panes were broken, 
and began to tear up the palisades and young trees, after 
"which they set fire to the efligy. The military having been 
warned of the affair, came up, and the mob dispersed without 

doing any further mischief. 23rd. One of the most 

numerous (said to be at least 100,000 persons present) as- 
semblages ever witnessed in the county of York, took 
place at Wakefield, under the auspices of the Leeds reform 
association, and the Leeds political union, to petition par- 
liament in favour of the reform bill, and to move an address 
to the king asking him to have confidence in the ministry 
of earl Grey. 

Cholera — This year was signalised in the history of 
England by the visitation of that awful scourge the Asiatic 
cholera. The full extent of the havoc committed can never 
be correctly estimated, as a vast number of cases must of 
necessity have escaped the vigilance of the board of health. 
The number of cases, however, actually reported totheboard 
of health in England, was, 82,528, of which 31,376 were fatal; 
the mortality was consequently at the rate of 38 deaths to 
100 cases. At the beginning of February, the disease had 
established itself in London on the one hand, and in Edin- 
burgh, Glasgow, and Paisley on the other. The first case 
that occurred in Leeds, was on the 26th of May, and the 
victim was an Irish boy named Dock, about two years old, 



388 ANNAL8 OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1832. 

residing with his parents in the Blue Bell fold, at the Bank. 
He was taken ill at five iu the morning, and died at three 
in the afternoon. A child named Tobin died in the same 
fold the next day, and about eleven others were shortly after 
attacked in the same yard and its vicinity. The disease 
then made rapid progress, notwithstanding that every pre- 
caution had been taken by the local board of health by the 
removal of nuisances, &c. 

Cases. Deaths. Recoveries. 



By the end of June there had been 


166 


43 


71 


In July 


427 


187 


255 


„ August 


668 


273 


372 


„ September 


334 


123 


228 


„ October ... 


216 


73 


182 


„ November 12th 


6 


3 


7 



Total ... 1817 702 1115 
Thus, there were in the borough, during the whole period 
of the disease, 1,817 cases; 702 deaths, and 1,115 recoveries. 
It appears from a valuable statistical report of the cholera 
in Leeds, drawn up by Mr. Baker, surgeon, '' That the 
dreadful disease was most prevalent iu those parts of the 
town Avhich were situate in the vicinage of tlie river, or 
large water courses. That of 1817, cases reported to the 
Leeds board of health, 1,448 occurred in the township of 
Leeds, and 3G9 in the out-townships. The number of 
streets, lanes, alleys, and yards, in whxh the cholera pre- 
vailed, amounted to 876, of which 265 v/ere thoroughfares 
in Leeds only. The cholera commenced on the 2Gth of May, 
was at its height in August, (in which month 6G8 cases 
were reported, 273 deaths and 372 recoveries) and ter- 
minated on the 12th of November. The greatest number 
of cases in one day, was on the 16th of August, when there 
were 59 cases and 21 deaths. In fifty-three families, two 
persons were attacked at the same time ; in seven families, 
three at the same time ; in three families, four at the same 
time; in one family, five were attacked at the same time; 
and in another family, seven persons were ill of the disease 
at the same moment: one person was attacked by the 
disease three times, and recovered ; three other persons 
were attacked twice each, and two of them recovered ; 
but the third died. None of the medical gentlemen had 
the blue stage of the disease, but many were attacked 
with symptoms of a permonitory kind, especially those 
gentlemen who came in closest contact with the sick. One 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 389 

1832. 

nurse at the cholera hospital was attacked with the blue 
stage, and two with perraonitory symptoms. None of the 
attendants had the disease in the blue stage, and but three 
had permonitory symptoms." During the whole period of 
the disease, the attentions of the board of health and the 
medical gentlemen of the town were most praiseworthy ; 
and great benevolence in providing funds, was shown by 
a large number of the inhabitants. The establishment of 
the cholera hospital in St. Peter's square, gave great dis- 
satisfaction to the inhabitants and owners of property in 
the neighbourhood, who manifested their feelings by 
breaking the windows of the hospital, and annoying the 
medical men and others. This place being inadequate, 
some property at the top of Saxton-lane was purchased 
for £550, and converted into an hospital. At times great 
inconvenience was occasioned at some of the churches by 
the irregular manner in which certain of the persons who 
died of the cholera were taken to the place of sepulchre. 
A local paper states, that instances occurred of individuals 
of the Homan Catholic persuasion, being taken into the 
church yard by their friends, who sprinkled a quantity of 
consecrated earth upon the coffin, and then left it to take 
its chance. Altogether there was a great deal of patience, 
forbearance, and self-denial shown by all classes of the 
community during this calamity. The cholera broke out 
at Goole and Selby so early as the beginning of April, 
■where several fatal cases occurred. It appeared at Dews- 
bury on the 19th of June, and about the same time at 
Poutefract, Brotherton and Woodlesford. The number of 
cases at York up to the 1st of October, was 44S; deaths 
1S4, and recoveries 264. Apperley Bridge was visited in 
an alarming manner from Sunday, the l^Uh of June, to 
Wednesday, the 13th, in which time 31 cases occurred, and 
10 deaths. The number of cases at Sheffield, up to Nov- 
ember 5th, was 1,347; deaths 402, and recoveries 945 — 
among the victims at this place was John Blake, Esq., 
master cutler, to whose memory an elegant obelisk was 
erected in 1834 by public subscription. The cholera did 
not commence at Bradford until the latter end of August, 
and up to the 19th of September there were 82 cases ; 12 
deaths, and 37 recoveries. It broke out at Knaresbro' on 
the 23rd of December, and up to the 10th of January, 
there were 30 cases ; 14 deaths, and 16 recoveries. 

June 14th. Mr. William Hirst, of Leeds, published in the 
Leeds papers an appeal to his Yorkshire friends for pecu- 
niary support, in which he says, that " At the time I began 



390 ANlsALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1832. 

the new system of manufacfuring and finisliing cloth, I 
was not worth £500; the system itself enabled me in a 
short time to lay out in mills and machinery upwards of 
£80,000, and in 1824 I gave up business with a great in- 
come, but left all in the concern; but 1825 was the ruin of 
the concern. I thought I could save it, and in 1826, I 
mortgaged my propert},"- for that purpose, but the new- 
tariff in America, in 1828 blasted all hope." He had to 
appear in the gazette, and states, that '• his life had been 
a life of struggle and disappointment since 182.5." His 
fellow-townsmen shortly after in public meeting set afoot 

a subscription for his benefit. June 15th. The passing 

of the reform bill was celebrated at Leeds by a public 
dinner at which John Marshall, jun., Esq., and T. B. Mac- 
aulay, Esq., the Whig candidates for the representation of 
the borough at the forth-coming election Avere invited. 
At the meeting after dinner, Mr. Joshua Bower occupied 
the chair, aud the principal speakers were Mr. Mac- 
aulay and Mr. Marshall. 

On the evening of Tuesday, the 21st of August, the 
town of Pontefract was for the first time lighted with gas. 

Aug. 20(h and 21st. A grand cricket match took place at 
Kirkstall bridge, for £50, between eleven scientific players 
from Sheffield and twenty-two Yorkshire players. The 
Sheffield players won by four runs, with nine wickets to 
go down. The followiug was the total score: — Sheffield 

143; Yorkshire 139 — majority, 4. On Sunday the 

26th of August, died of cholera at Bayswater, Dr. Adam 
Clark, LL.I)., an eminent Methodist minister, aged 70. 
He was born in the north of Ireland about 1762, received 
no schooling, was eager for knowledge, was placed with 
a linen manufacturer to learn the trade; being found to 
possess aptitudes for the christian ministry, Avas admitted 
at Mr. Wesley's academy, Kingswood, near Bristol; be- 
sides going through the routirie studies, taught himself 
Hebrew, and so laid the foundation of his oriental scholar- 
ship ; was commissioned b}^ Mr. "Wesley himself to become 
a preacher; first taught near Bradford, in Yv^iltshire, and 
became very popular in the pulpit. In 1802 he published 
a " Bibliographical Dictionary " in six volumes — a conve- 
nient book for the English student. About the same time 
he began to be taken notice of for his acquirements in 
biblical knowledge and oriental literature. Removing to 
London, he had superior opportunities for pursuing his 
studies. He was chosen by the commissioners of the 
public records to superintend the publication of a new 



THK SURR0D^"DI><6 DISTRICT. 391 

1832. 

edition of Fcyracr's " Foedera." Besides other publica- 
tions, he putforth an edition of the Holy Scriptures in the 
English version, illustrated with a commentary and 
critical notes, forming a kind of family bible. (1810-26). 
During a part of the time that ho was preparing this use- 
ful work, in which traces of independent thinking and 
moral courage are found, Dr. Clark resided at Millbrook, 
in Lancashire, where some friends had purchased for him 
a house and small estate. From 1823, when he left Lanca- 
shire, he lived at Haydon hall, in Middlesex. Dr. Clarke 
was a good, laborious, and self-denying man. His learning 
was more extensive than sound; but he has the merit of 
having turned his acquirements to advantage for the in- 
struction and improvement of his fellow men. 

On Sunday evening the 7th of October, the Hark Forward 
Ilkley and Leeds coach, shortly after it started from 
the Rose and Crown inn, Ilkley, for Leeds, was upset. 
There were a many passengers on the outside of the coach, 
many of whom received severe contusions, and a poor 
woman upwards of 69 years of age, named Hannah Aller- 
ton, of Farsley, was so severely injured that she died in a 
fev/ days. The coachman, John Townsend,was said to be 
in liquor. 

Nov. The Leeds Y^orkhouse board passed a resolution 
that the poor who died in the workhouse, and whose 
bodies %vere not claimed by relatives or friends, should be 
given for dissection, under the sanction of Mr. Warburton's 

act. Nov. 15(h. As some workmen were employed in 

excavating for a drain to pass through Feasegate, York, 
they fliscovered at a distance of nine feet beloAv the street, 
a wall eight feet thick, extending from Jubbergate, along 
the centre of the street, a distance of fifteen yards, v/lien 
it appeared to turn towards Coney-street. This wall, 
which is no doubt of Roman origin, is formed of small 
stones firmly cemented together, so as to render the 
whole v/ork a solid mass of adamantine hardness. It re- 
quired immense labour to detach the pieces, Avhich could 
only be accomplislied by chisels, and that in ver}'- small 
proportions. 

Reform Bill. The year 1832 is memorable for the pass- 
ing of lord John Russell's reform bill, 2nd William IV., 
cap. 45, entitled " An act to amend the representation of 
the people in England and Wales." The debate on the 
third reading in the liouse of Comm.ons, terminated at .5 
o'clock in the morning of the 23rd of March, and on a 
division the numbers M'ere : — For the bill, 3.35, against it, 



392 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1832. 

239, majority for the third reading, 116, The measure 
passed the house of lords, (after much opposition) on the 
4th of June. The numbers were for the third reading, 106, 
against it, 22, majority 84, and on the 7th of June it re- 
ceived the royal assent, and became the law of the land. 
By this act the boroughs of Aldborough, Boroughbridge, 
and Hedon were disfranchised, and Northallerton and 
Thirsk lost one member each. Bradford, Leeds, Sheffield, 
Birmingham, Manchester, Halifax, &c., obtained the right 
of representation, and to return two members each. Hud- 
derstield, Wakefield, and Whitby to return one. This act 
declared the electorial district of Leeds to be the " Borough 
of Leeds," but the parliamentary boundaries act (2ud and 
3rd William lY, cap 64,) declares such district to be only 
the " Parish of Leeds," thereby excluding the hamlets of 
Coldcoates, Osmondthorpe, Skelton, and Thornes, which 
although within the Borough, are not within the Parish of 
Leeds. 

Leeds ELEcnoN. On the 4th of Sept. the candidates for 
the representation of Leeds attended at the Mixed cloth 
hall to address the electors. Mr. Bower, president of the 
Leeds political union, introduced Thomas Babington Mac- 
aulay. Esq , Mr. George Rawson introduced John Marshall, 
junr. Esq , and Mr, Hall introduced Michael Thomas Sad- 
ler, Esq. After the candidates had addressed the electors, 
they were questioned as to their political opinions by 
Messrs. Bower, Smithson, Ward, and Oastler. Several 
meetings were subsequently held by the candidates and the 
canvass proceeded with great activity and spirit. The 
10th of December was the day of nomination, when both 
parties mustered in considerable strength. Messrs. 
Marshall and Macaulay with their friends breakfasted 
at the Commercial buildings, and Mr, Sadler and his 
friends at Crossland's hotel. Hustings were erected 
in the area of the Mixed Cloth Hall, capable of containing 
five hundred persons ; here the candidates appeared with 
their principal supporters, and twenty thousand persons 
occupied the space in front. About ten o'clock, the mayor, 
Thomas Tennant, Esq., opened the proceedings of the day. 
Henry Hall, Esq., then proposed Michael Thomas Sadler, 
Esq., and William Beckett, Esq., seconded the nomination. 
Thomas Benyon, jun., Esq., proposed John Marshall, jun., 
Esq., and James Musgrave, Esq , seconded the nomination. 
John Marshall, Esq., the late member for the county, pro- 
posed Mr. Macaulay, and George Rawson, Esq., seconded 
the nomination. When the usual shew of hands was 



THE SURROETNDJNG DISTRICT. 393 

1832. 

called for, the mayor unhesitatingly pronounced it to be in 
favour of Messrs. Marshall and Macaulay. A poll was 
then demanded by Mr. Hall for Mr. Sadler, and the mayor 
appointed it to commence on the ensuing- Wednesday 
morning, the 12th of December. The proceedings on this 
occasion were interrupted by a disgraceful riot which at 
one time assumed the most alarming appearance, and in 
which, as is usual in similar cases, both parties were 
equally culpable. When Mr. I\rarshall came forward to 
propose Mr. Macaulay, some of the blue party placed 
before him a standard representing a A'iew of Messrs. 
Marshall's mill, in Water-lane, in a snow storm on a 
winter's morning, with several poor, decrepid, and half- 
naked children trudging in a shiveing attitude through the 
snow; on the picture v/ere painted the ^vords, "A scene 
in Water-lane, at five o'clock in the morning." The AVhig 
part}' cried down with the flag, and suiting the action to 
the word a number of the adherents of Marshall and 
Macaula}' made a rush upon the possessors of the ob- 
noxious banner, and succeeded after a brisk struggle in 
pulling it down — then commenced a serious conflict 
between t!;e two parties. The blues made a desperate 
charge upon their opponents, and a regular battle was 
fought: sticks, bludgeon.?, and the broken pieces of the 
poles of banners M'-ere used as the offensive weapons; 
many persons were thrown down and trampled upon, and 
others received dreadful cuts on the head and face ; a con- 
siderable number of the orange party retired for a short 
time from the yard; and the proceedings were not re.^umed 
until a great number of special constables were ordered 
b)' the mayor to station themselves in a direct line from 
the middle of the hustings to the other side of the yard, 
and thus to form a marked division between the hostile 
parties. It is sincerely hoped that such a scandalous scene 
will never again be witnessed in this town. Eleven per- 
sons were taken to the infirmary, four of whom were so 
seriously hurt that they were immediately placed on the 
list of in-patients. 

On Wednesday, the 12th of December, the polling com- 
menced with great vigour and was continued with the same 
spirit on the following day. The result of the poll, as 
stated by the mayor on the 14th, in the Mixed Cloth Hall 
yard, was as follows: — 

J. Marshall, j^m., W. 2,012. 

T. B. Macaulay, W. 1,9S4. 

M. T. Sadler, T. 1,596. 



394 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1832. 

The split votes were — Marshall and Macaulay, 1,855 ; 
Marshall and Sadler, 118; Macaulay and Sadler, 89. Mr. 
Marshall had 3S plumpers, Mr. Macaulay 39, and Mr. 
Sadler 1,380. 

At a quarter before eleven o'clock on Friday, December 
14th, the mayor and a number of the electors executed 
the indenture of return, and the former terminated the 
contest by saying, " I have now the pleasure of telling 
you that the return of two burgesses to parliament is 
completed, and in your name and in my own, I heartily 
congratulate the successful candidates, and wish them all 
health and happiness, and I have no doubt that they will 
do credit to your choice, and prove active, useful, and in- 
dependent members of parliament." Messrs. Marshall 
and Macaulay, lord Morpeth, (who happened to be present), 
and Mr. Fawkes, of Faraley, then addressed the electors, 
and thanks were voted by acclamation to the mayor. The 
members were then chaired in triumph through the princi- 
pal streets of the town, in the presence of an immens^e 
concourse of people, and their return was celebrated by a 
dinner at the Commercial buildings in the evening. 

The registered voters for the borough of Leeds, at the 
election in 1832, were — in the town 2,614; in the out- 
townships, 1,936 ; total, 4550. Registered voters for the 

West- Riding, resident in Leeds, 809. The election at 

Bradford took place on the 19th of December, and resulted 
in the return of E. C. Lister and John Hardy — the state of 
the poll being. Lister 650, Hardy 471, George Banks 402. 
At Halifax, Rawden Briggs and Charles Wood were re- 
turned — the result of the poll being, Briggs 242, Wood 
235, Michael Stocks 183, J. S. Wortley 174. At Wake- 
field, Daniel Gaskell was returned without opposition. 
At Huddersfield, captain L. Fenton was returned — the 
poll being, Fenton 263, captain Joseph Wood 152. 

December. The election of two members for the West- 
Riding of Yorkshire (in pursuance of the reform bill), 
took place at Wakefield. Sir Francis Lindley Wood, 
bart., proposed, and John Nussey, Esq., of Batley, 
seconded the nomination of Viscount Morpeth; George 
Rawson, Esq., of Leeds, proposed, and Francis Hawks- 
worth Fawkes, Esq., seconded Sir George Strickland, 
Esq. No other candidates being proposed, they were 

duly elected. Dec. 21st. A public dinner was given 

to M. T. Sadler, Esq , by his friends, in the Music hall. 
Henry Hall, Esq., occupied the chair. 

Dec. 5th. In compliance with the recommenda- 



THE SURRODNDING DISTRICT. 395 

1832. 

tion of the Board of Hcalfh, and the ii)junction of the 
mayor, this day was observed in Leeds as " a da}^ of solemn 
thanksgiving to Almighty God, tor his merciful interposition 
in checking the ravages of rhe fatal disease by which the 
town had lately been visited." Nearly all the shops and 
mills in the town were closed, and divine service was per- 
formed in most of the churches and chapels. 

Dec. 5th. The workpeople of Mr. Abimelech Hainsworth, 
cloth manufacturer, Farsle}'-, near Bradford, had for some 
time prior to this date been on strike for an advance of 
wages : some few of his men who were not members of the 
Trades' union, refused to leave work, among whom were 
James Benson, a native of Ireland, about 19 years of age, 
and his sister a few years younger. On the night above- 
mentioned, about a quarter past eight o'clock, Benson, ac- 
companied by his sister, left work and proceeded home to 
Stanningley. In the road a number of men to the number 
of thirty or forty made an attack upon Benson, and so ill- 
used him, that he expired at 5 o'clock next morning, from 
the injuries he had received. Although a large reward 
was offered for the apprehension of the murderers, they 
escaped. 

December. Messrs. Marshall and Macaulay's electioneer- 
ing committee presented to Mr. Richardson and Mr. 
Gaunt, solicitors, two silver salvers, with the following 
inscription : (Changing the name only in Mr. Gaunt's case.) 

"Presented by the election committee of Messrs. Marshall and 
Macaulay, the first members of the borough of Leeds, under the 
reform bill, to James Richardson, Esq., solicitor, in grateful testimony 
of professional services gratuitously, zealously, and most efficiently 
rendered to the cause of the people." 

The committee also presented a testimonial to Mr. 
Eddison, solicitor, who had accepted payment for 
only a part of the professional services rendered by him 
during the election, namely, those performed in the 
business of revising the register of voters. 

The Leeds Choral Society was founded this year by 
the late Mr. Bywater, who was one of the most talented 
musicians the county of York ever produced. The 
members of this societ}^ are entirely professional, and 
have now become celebrated throughout the AVest-Riding 
for their excellent oratorial performances. A good col- 
lection of music is kept for the use of the members. 
There is a benevolent fund in connection with this 
society. Each performing member pays a donation of 
2s. 6d., and two-thirds of the contributions paid to he 



396 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1832.-1833. 

choral society is applied to the fund. Two concerts 

are also given annually, and applied to the same fund. 

Conductor, Mr. U. S. Burton, (the festival choral master, 

and organist, &c., at the parish church); leader, Mr. 

Bowling. The Mechanics' Institution, at Bradford, 

■was established this year, for which an appropriate 
building v/as erected in 1839, at an expense of £3,300; 
and contains a theatre for the delivery of lectures, a 
library of 3,000 volumes, and a museum, in which is a 
good collection of specimens in natural history, anti- 
quities, various models and machinery; an exhibition, 
including also a good collection of paintings, was opened 
to the pul)lic in 1840, and the receipts for admission, 
for fifteen weeks, amounted to £2,345. 

1833. A tile tomb was discovered in the year 1833, 
near Dringhouses, on the road to Tadcaster, formed of 
roof tiles and ridge tiles, which bear the impress of 
the VI. Legion, erected, it is probable, over the ashes 
of a soldier of that legion. (The sixth legion came 
from Germany into Britain with the emperor Hadrian, 
A.D., 117). No urn or vessel of any kind, or coins of 
any description, were found in it ; nothing but a layer 
of the remains of a funeral pile, consisting of charcoal 
and bones, about six inches in thickness, with several 

iron nails. During this year a brick tower was 

added to St. Mary's church, Hunslet. The church was 
erected in 1636, and was enlarged to twice its original 
size in 1744. The benefice is now a vicarage, valued at 
£235, and is under the patronage of the bishop of Ripou. 
The Rev. Edward Wilson, B.A., is the vicar. 

Jan. The workmen on the Leeds and Selby railway, 
in digging the excavation diverging from the London 
and York turnpike, through the tunnel formed by the bridge 
near South Milford, opened a burial ground, concerning 
which there is no tradition. In the Doomsday survey, 
there are four chapelries mentioned as belonging to 
Sherburn : one of these was on the same line of road, 
at the extremity of the township, on the way to Bark- 
ston Ash, the foundations of which the old inhabitants 
could recollect, but it is not known where the other 
three chapelries were situated — this burial ground was 
probably the cemetery of one of them. 

Jan. 4th. As some workmen employed by Mr. Frederick 
Stowe, of Westfields, Bramley, were removing some 
earth in a field belonging to him at Pudsey, at the depth 
of about one foot from the surface, they discovered a 



THE SUKKOUNDING DISTRICT. 397 

1833— Jan. 

quantity of ancient silver coins, of the reigns of queen 
Elizabeth, James I., and Charles I., and some others, reign 
and date unknown. Those of the reign of Elizabeth bear 
date from lo63 to 15S4; and those of James I. from 1G04. 
They were in a iiigh s'ate of preservation. 

Jan. 8th. Died, in Butterworth's yard, Kirkgate, Leeds, 
where she had resided lor u})\\ards of sixty years, 
Elizabeth Wilkinson, aged 93, retaining all her faculties 
till a short time betore her death. She had often been 
heard to tell of seeing a hedge growing on one side of 
Marsh-lane, and of the fields coming clotse up to Kirkgate 
at the time when she went to live there. 

On the same day, died, in London, aged .5^, the Rev. 
Richard "Watson, a celebrated Wesleyan ])reacher. He 
was extensively known in Yorkshire. His principal 
literary Avorks were, his 'I'lieological Institutes, life of 
Wesley, and his Biblical and Theological Dictionary. 

13th. A young woman aged 21, named Ann Cryer, 
the wife of William Cryer, excavator, Grantham-street, 
Bank, Leeds, murdered her infant child, a week old, and 
afterwards destroyed herself. This unfortunate mother 
had the milk fever at the time. She lived several 
days after the occurrence, an'l the coroner's jury returned, 
a verdict of " Wilful murder " against her. The further 
proceedings in the matter were rendered unnecessary by 
her death, and the jury shortly after returned a verdict 
that "the deceased destroyed herself in a fit of insanity." 

21st. The stuff weavers in the employment of Mr. 
James Green, one of the principal stuff manufacturers of 
Leeds, struck work in consequence of a dispute between 

them and the master as towages Jan. 24th. A public 

meeting of the inhabitants of the borough of Leeds was 
held at the Court-house, George Wailes, Esq., in the chair, 
when it was determined to petition the legislature for an 
immediate abolition of Colonial ^lavery, An address to 
the king embodying the spirit of the resolution, was signed 
by the chairman on behaif of tlie meeting. The gentlemen 
who took a prominent part in the proceedings were, the Rev. 
Thom.as Scales, J. B. Pense, Robert Jowett, William West, 
the Rev. J. Ackworth, the Rev. R. W. Hamilton, Edward 
Baines, jun., John Marshall, jnn., M.P., the Rev. John 
Anderson, J. P. Clajjham, M. T. Sadler, and Mr. Perring. 

•26th. Oa Saturday evening, about seven o'clock, as 
Thomas Tennant, Esq., the mayor of Leeds, (who had just 
arrived in the town from an excursion into a neighbouring 
county), was proceeding up Bank-street, to his residence 

34 



398 ANNAI.S OK LEKDS, YOUK, AND 

1833— Jan. 

ill Albion-street, he wasaftacked by four villiann, whosoized 
him behind, stopped his mouth, and threw him down. They 
took from him a small portable writing desk, in which 
were thirty-Steven £5 notes, of the Boston and Liricoln- 
ftliire banks, &o , besides some thirty sovereigns and half 
sovereigns, makiiig together £21, ajid various letters, 
memoranda, &c Tiiey al?o rifled his j)ock« ts of un an- 
tique silver snuff box, a pair of tortoise- shell spectacles, 
and a golrj v,atch and chain, the schIs oI which were 
broken off during the struggle. By the activity of the 
police, nine sovcieigns and three of the notes were traced 
to the possession of Elizabeth Brown, to whom they 
had been sent by the robbeis. The writing case was 
found early on Sunday morning in a field near Brunswick 
chapel; i's apparent cont( nts were gone, but th;- thieves 
had over-looked one of the parcels of notes, value £'100. The 
snuff box and spectacles were found near the same place, 
and tiie watch was siibsequently recovered William Rol- 
linson, John PickfM-sgill, Jose{)h Teale,and Elizabeth Brown, 
were couKuitted to York for committing or being im- 
plicated in the robbery. They were tried on the 7th of 
March. The jury found Rollinson and Pickersgill guilty 
of t\iti robbery, and Teale and Brown not guilty, but said 
in their opinion the latter were guilty of receiving the 
money, knowing it to have been stolen. Mr. Baron Gurney, 
in ordering judgnient of death to be recorded against 
Rollinson and Pickersgill. said, '-Prisoners, you have been 
convicted of a capital offence, and your lives are forfeited 
to the offended laws of your country. If I should be induced 
to spare your lives, it is the utmost mercy ti)at can be 
shown; and if they should be spared, let the remainder of 
them be spent (as they must be sj)ent in a diiitant coun'r}'-, 
aiid in a very miserable condition) in endeavour ng to 
atone for the wickedness of which you have been guilty." 
Teale and Brown were afterwards tried for receiving the 
stolen property, and ejich transported for seven years. 

Feb G. John Marshall, jun., Esq , M. P. for Leeds, seconded 
the address in answer to the royal sj)eech. 

Sth, Dieri, at Milton house, near Peterborough, the 
T/enerable earl Fi(zwilliam, in the SoLh year of his age. 
His lordship was succeeded in his title and estates, by lord 
Milton, MP. for north Northamptonshire. 

Hih. The House of Commons, on the recommcnda- 
lion of a sub-conjrnitlee, decided to allow J. ]*ease, Esq., 
a member of the society of Friends, to take his scat ou 
his making an alBrmation instead of the usual oath. Lord 



THE .SURRODNDING DISTRICT. 399 

18S3— Feb. 

Morpeth siibsequeiitly introduced a bill which became 
law, "rendering- the affirmation of Quakers of the same 
effect as an oath m all cases where an oath is or may 
be required." 

23rd. The ])ublication of the Leeds Intelligencer was 
this day altered from Thursday to Saturday. 

March 7th. The Leeds Times newspaper was estab- 
lished by Messrs Fen ton. Roebuck, and Bingley, and 
within a few months of its commencement came into 
the hands of its jjresent senior proprietor, Mr. Frederick 
Hobson. By careful management, and able editing, it 
has attained a very high position as a liberal provincial 
newspaper, and has gradually increased from a small 
sheet .to its present large size. It has numbered amongst 
its editors the Rev. Edward Parsons, the lamented. 
Robert Xicoll, Charles Hooton, Samuel Smiles, &c. Its 
present (1S59) weekly circulation is said to be upwards of 
11,000 copies, and its advertisements, now numerous, 
have more than doubled during the last few years. 

11th. A meeting of the Leeds operatives was held 
at the Court-house, to petition jjarliament in favour 
of the ten hours' bill. Mr. Smith, surgeon, and Mr. 
Baker, surgeon, took part in the proceedings ; the former 
advocating a ten hours' bill, and the latter an eleven 
hours' bill. The petition Avas presented to the House of 
Commons by Mr. Strickland, and was said to contain 
16,3o6 signatures, among which were the names of 
thirty-six surgeons, and its length was 24.5 feet. 

20"th. A numerous and very respectable meeting of 
the inhabitants of the borough of Leeds, Avas convened 
by the mayor, (at which his Avorship took the chair), "to 
consider the propriety of addressing petitions to the two 
houses of parliament in favour of the bill for promoting 
the better observance of the Sabbath" 'I'he meeting 
was addressed by the Rev. R. W. Hamilton, the Vicar, the 
Rev. Miles Jackson, Mr. Baines, William Hey, Robert 

Jowitt, and others. March 22nd At a court of 

mayor, aldermen, and assistants, held at the Leeds 
Court-house, Churles Milner, Esq , barrister-at-law, wa» 
unanimously clmsen recorder of the borough, vice John 
Hardy Es(p, resigned. Mr. Hardy's patent, as recorder, was. 
dated 14(h .Sei)tember, ISOG, so tliat the learned ^enth'- 
man had held the ufiiccnearly twenty- se^■en years. — Francis 
Maude, Evq., George "Wailes, Esq . Thomas llorncastle 
Marshall, P^srp, and Robert Hall, Esq, were aj)pointed 
by the lord chancellor (juorum commissioners under the 
new bankruptcy act, for the Leeds district. 



400 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1^33 —March. 

Oil the 31st March, three convicti? were execnted at 
York, namely, Ebenezer Wright, agred 20, of Rotherham, 
joiner, for setting fire to two stacks, belonging to Mr. 
Oxley, solicitor, Thomas Land, aged 25, of Knottingley, 
for cruelly beating Thomas Atkinson, on the highway 
near Pontefract ; and Mary Hunter, aged 47, (the mother 
of fourteen children), of Lotherton, near Aberford, for 
counselling and abetting Hannah Gray, a girl of weak 
intellect, to set lire to three corn stacks the property 

of Mr. Marshall, of Lotherton. Mr, Edwari 

Hauge, of Thornhill, on the evening of the same day, 
hearing some one tease the dog outside his house, 
opened the window and fired a pistol, intending to 
frighten the ]);irties away, and shot a person named 
Joseph B\xeudale, who died from the wounds received. 
It is said IMr. Hauore nude a provision for the widow 
and family of the deceased. 

April I7th, Mr Macaulay presented to the House of 
Commons s^x petitions from the .Methodist congregations 
of Lf^eds, and one from the Baptist congregation of that 
town, for the abolition of slavery. He also presented 
a petition from 13,000 ir)habitants of Leeds, praying for 
a reform in the cori)oration of that borough, which he 
intended to move, to refer to the select committee 
sitting on corporations. He also ])resented from 1,230 
of his constituents, a petition tor the removal of the 
disabilities nnder which the Jews laboured 

28'h. Some wretch with great cruelty and utter 
recklessness, set fire to some farm buildings at Mill- 
stone, near Amcsbury, belonging to C. Kendall, Esq , by 
which 400 sheep and 4» pigs were burnt to death, and 
300 (piarters of oats anl barley, in ricks and in barn, 
were consumed — loss £2000. 

29fh. A little alter mid-day, a severe hail and 
thunder storm took place at Leeds and the vicinity, to 
the West. The electric fluid struck the spire of the 
new church at Kirkstall, and destroyed it to the depth 
of fifteen feet, the stones and mortar beinor thrown to 
the ground, \ very large s*-one which capped the spire, 
was shattered to atoms; another block of large dimensions 
was thrown a considerable distance into an adjoining 
field ; and the who'e of the spire was so much injured 
that it had to be taken down and rebuilt. Some of the 
fragments forced their way through the church, damaging 
some of the pews and the organ pipes. The amount of 
the injur}^ was estimated at from £400 to £500, 



THE !<URIlOUMiJM-J DISTIMC'K 401 

lb'33. 

May L<t. A very liandsomc meinorial, subscribed to by 
mauy hundrt ds of his felluw-fownsmcu, was j)resented 
to Mr. Flood, surgeon, of Leeds, for his services during 
the cholera iu the previous }ear, bearing- the following 
inscripfiou : — 

*' As a te^stimony of esteem, this inscription, accompanied with a 
purse of I old, is preseutf J hy these who have abundant cau>e for 
deeply felt gratitude to Mr. Flood, surgeon, for lii.s great skill and 
valuable exertions, in arresting the progress of the drea'ful epidemic 
disease called cholera, by which the town and neiglibourhood of Leeds 
were awfully visited during the year 183?." 

loth. A storm of hail and rain, m ith thunder and 
lightning, burst nver the greater }:art ut the ^Vest-Eidiiig. 
The principal (ianiage was done to hot-houses by hail- 
stones: abuut t wenty-si.x. squares of glass were broken 
iu the museum lights at the Leeds ph.losophical society. 
The hot-houses of Mr. Hebblethw aite, Woodhoupc-laue, 
Mr. Pontey, Clay Pit lane, Mr. Clapliam, and Mr. C'oxon, 
Chapeltowi), were much damaged. At Pontefract, the 
the storm was very alarming, and did much damage. Ifc 
is said that some of the hailstones which fell there measured 
Irom four and a half to Hvc inches in circumference, and 
weighed an ounce. At Keighley, tlie storm was one of 
most tremendous ever witnessed by the oldest inhabitants. 
At Clayton Iln'ghts, scarcely a Avindow in any of the 
houses was left whole. A cabin at the Low moor 
com})any, near Bradford, was struck by the lightning and 
killed a boj^ named t^peak. A })Oor man, of the name of 
Armitage, of Lindley, was killed by the electric fluid at 
Gclcar, near Huddcrstield. The deceased left a widow 
and nine children Ihe thermomefor at the Leeds philo- 
sophical hall stood at 80^ in the shade. 

20th. A public meeting convened by the Leeds Anti- 
slavery Society m as held at the Music hall, to con- 
sider the government jjlan of emancipation. George 
Eawson, Esq., occupied the chair, and speeches were 
delivered by the Rev. Thomas Scales, the Rev. R. W. Hamil- 
ton, Mr. Richardson, solicitor, and others. 

The miners at most of the pits in the vicinity of 
Wakefield, Mere on strike at this time for an advance of 

wages. The influenza was very prevalent at Hunslet, 

and many cases terminated fatally. 

23rd. Died, aged ;:8, Charles Turner Thackrah, Esq., 
surgeon, of Leeds, distinguished by an ardent and anxious 
zeal in his profession, to which he devoted his mind with 
unremitting assiduity. Mr. Thackrah published several 



402 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 
183:?.— May. 

valuable treatises coimiiectcd with bis profession, Avhicti 
Avere well calculated to advance medical science and do 
honour to the memor}'' of the deceased. 

2()th. A line lad about live year.«? old, named James 
Green, the son of Mr. Green, joiner, New-road -end, Leeds, 
died at the Leeds general intirmary of that terrible disorder 
hydroj)hobia- He had been severely bitten by his grand- 
father's cur dog about six weeks before. This being only 
the second aul henticated case of liydrophobia \vhich had 
occurred in Leeds for upv>ards of thirty years, elicited a 
great deal of attention from the medical men of the town, 
"who rendered to the boy every assistance in their power. 

.'iOth. An explosion of fire damp, by which five persons 
lost their lives, took place in a colliery at Linley top, 
near Huddersfield, in the occupation of Mr. James Water- 
house, of Linley. The names of the unfortunate persons 
were, James Waterhouse, the lessee of the pit; Thomas 
Crossley, of EUand ; George Batley, John Titfany, and 

Edward Booth, of Lindley. May. The Leeds carpet 

"weavers were at this time out on the strike owing to a 
dispute as to ^vages. Ten of tiie weavers of Mr. Howard 
were sent to the House of Correction for leaving their 
work unfinished. Having completed their term of im- 
prisonment, they were (12th June) escorted through the 
tOMn by their friends in a coach, accompanied by a band of 
music. The Leeds stuff weavers and pressers were also 
on strike, and continued out for a long time. The mayor, 
during the strike published a caution to the men against in- 
timidation, &c. 

June 3rd. Thomas Chorley, Esq., having resigned the 
office of surgeon to the Leeds general infiimary, Avhicli he 
had held for nearly forty years ; at a meeting of the 
trustees held this day, the following resolution was 
moved by the Eev. R. Fawcett, A.M., the vicar of Leeds, 
seconded by G. Rawson, Esq., and passed with general ac- 
clamation : — 

"Resolved,— That the trustee.s deeply lament that the declining 
state of Mr. Chorle^-'.s health has induced him to re.sign the office of 
surgeon to the infirmary, \vhich he has filled to their entire satisfaction 
for the long term ot nearly forty j^ears. That by the punctual antl 
unwearied discharge of the duties of his otfice, distinguished alike by 
great professional skill and humane attention to the comforts of his 
patients, he has won the admiration and gratitude of the trustees, en- 
deared himself to those who have owed to him, 'jnder Divine Providence, 
their restoration to health and limbs, and iurnished a model worthy of 
imitation by all succeeding officers of the institution. We earnestly 
pray the Almighty to bless him in his retirement, and prolong his life 



THE SURROU^"DI^'G DISTRICT. 403 

1833— June. 

to \vitne>.s the continued success of that charity in wliich he tates so 
deep an interest, and to enjoy the gratitying reflection of having largely 
contributed in his day to the relief of human suffering." 

A copy of the above resolufion beautifully written on 
vellum and framed, was presented to Mr. Chorley as a 
more lasting testimonial of the gratitude of the trustees. 
On the same day an election for a successor took ]jlace at the 
Court-house. The candidates were — Henry Chorley, Joseph 
Prince Garlick, and 'i'horaas Pridgin Teale. The votes 
were taken by ballot, and the following gentlemen officiated 
as examiners : Mr. Pibb for Mr. Teale; Mr. J. H. Ridsdale 
for Mr. Garlick; and Mr. Buhner for Mr. Chorley. The 
numbers polled were: — 

For Mr. Teale,— votes, 200; proxies, 12"; total, 327. 
„ Mr. Garlick „ 129; „ 103; „ 235. 

„ Mr. Chorley „ 56; „ 54; „ 110. 

The chairman, Henry Hall. Esq., declared Mr. Teale 

duly elected. 24rh. The election of a surgeon to 

the Leeds public dispensary in the place of Mr. T. P. 
Teale, resigned, took place — Mr. Charles Xelson, surgeon, 

"was elected. 26th. At the quarterly board of 

the Leeds general infirmary, Mr. Baker, surgeon, moved au 
alteration in the 17th rule, so as to admit; of an increase 
in the number of medical officers of the institution. The 
motion was negatived by a majority of 245. 

July 1st. A large public meeting took place on 'Wibsey 
Low moor, near Bradford, " To consider the i)ropriety of 
petitioning parliament to reject the proposition for limiting 
the labour of factory children under thirteen years of age 
to eight hours per day, and two sets, and to pass without 
delay the ten hours' bill, which extends its mercilul re- 
strictions to persons under eighteen years of age, but 
allov.s them to work ten hours per day." Captain \»'ood, 
of Sandal, occupied the chair, and the meeting was ad- 
dressed by John Airey, of Leeds; William Busfield, of 
Bingley; the Rev. G. S. Bull, of Bierley; Mr. Doherty, 
of IManchester; and Mr. Oastler. 

27th. Died, at the advanced age of 94, Phineas Lambert, 
of Thornhill, weaver. He was a member of the Cal- 
vanistic persuasion more than sixty years, and enjoyed 
au uninterrupted state of health till within a short time of 
his death. He was father to four generations, viz. : — • 
eleven children, sixty-three grand children seventy-four 
great grand children, and four great great grand children; 



401 ANNALH OF LKEDS, YOllK, AND 

lb33~JuLy. 

in all 152 desceiidaiits, of whom the greater part were 
liviii«r anfl followed him to his grave. 

William Wiiberforco, an eminent English philanthro- 
pist, was born at Hull, August 24th, 1759. His father 
was a merchant, and gave him an education to prepare 
him for college. When only 14, Wilberforce wrote a 
letter to a York paper, "in condemnation of the odious 
traffic in human tlesh." In 177^ he went to Cambridge, 
where he became acquainted with the celebrated Pitt, 
with whom he long maintained the closest friendship. 
He determined to embrace a parliamentary career, and 
when onl}' 21, was elected member for Hull. In 1784 
he was elected member for the county of York, before 
he had completed his 25tli year. But Wilberforce, instead 
of pursuing a career of ambition, resolved to give his 
abilities, influence, and energies, to the cause of religion 
and philanthropy. The suffering.«3 of the unhappy negroes 
particularly engaged his attention, and to the abolition 
of the slave trade he devoted his whole heart and soul. 
For twenty years was he labouring for this object, in 
parliament and ont of it, Avith his tongue and hi.s pen, 
working unremittingl}'-, in spite of a weak constitution 
and very precarious health. At last, in 1S07, he saw 
his wishes accomplished — the abolition bill was passed. 
He was six times re-elected for the county of York, 
but in 1812, finding the business of so large a consti- 
tuency too oppressive, he resigned his seat, and was 
elected for the borough of Bramber. He now de- 
voted his attention to the abolition of slavery itself, 
but his health did not permit him to witness this second 
triumph. He retired from parliament in 1825. He died 
July 2Sth, 1833, just as the bill for the abolition of 
slavery was passing through the House of Commons, 
He was as estimable in domestic as in public life, and 
devoted much of his time and income to private charity. 
Wilberforce was interred with a public funeral in V/est- 
minster abbey. 

Aug. 1st. A great deal of excitement was caused in 
York and other places, by one Hannah Beedham, who 
had predicted her own death, which was to take place 
this day, and to meet which she had retired to Kelfield, 
a village on the banks of the Ouse, about ten miles 
from York. By her trances, predictions, and preachings, 
she had gained great popularity amongst a certain re- 
ligious body, who flocked in hundreds to the place, 
eager to be " in at the death." The credulous, however. 



THE SURROU^'DING DISTRICT. 405 

1833 —Avcr. 

were doomed to disappointment, for Hannah Beedliam 
lived beyond the day of her predicted death, and severe 
indeed to many did the di?«appointment prove, for not 
only at Keltield and tiie neighbouring- vilhiges had man}'- 
provided themselves with new mourning- to attend the 
luneral, ^^ inch was to have taken place at the church 
of the Holy 'Iriiiiry, Goodramgate, Vork, on the Sunday 
followini?; but even sjomc in Vork had done the like. 

7th. The colonial slavery bill was read a third time 
in the House of Commons, and received the royal assent 
on the 2Sth, eyactly a month after the death of Mr. 
"SVilberforce, the illustrious leader of the anti-slavery 

canse. 8th. At a meeting of the inhabitants of the 

parish of Leeds, held in the j)arish church, for the pur- 
pose of examining and passing the churchwarden's 
accounts, ^c. ; amongst several items disallowed by the 
meeting were : £10 l'2s. for ringers' salary and oil. 
The conseoj^uence was, that the bells ceased to be rung 
on Sabbath days and Thursday evenings. The salaries 
of beadle, verger, and constable, "were also disallowed. 

12th. The Hero, Newcastle, and Leeds coach was 
overturned opposite Low hall, the residence of George 
"Wailes, Esq., between Chapeltown and Leeds, by coming 
in collision with a cart. There were two passengers 
inside and ten outside; but only three of them and the 
guard (Burgoyne) were >crioiisly injured, namely, Mr. 
Powell, sen., solicitor, of Knaresbro'; Mr. Morley, of 
Dishforth; and Mr. John Donkersley, of Honley. At the 
time of the accident the coachman, Sissons, had lost 
hold of the reins, caused by the pole being snapped in 

two, and he was jerked off the footboard. 21st. This 

day took place the ceremony of dedicating the Rev, John 
Ely, of Rochdale, to the pastoral charge of the church 
and congregation assembling in Salem chapel, Leeds, as 

successor to the Rev. Edward Parsons. 2l3t. Died 

in Ireland, m hile on a visit to his estates, vSir Harry 
James Goodricke, bart., of Ribston hall, Yorkshire. He 
was the seventh baronet, and only son of the late 
haronet, by Charlotte Fortescue, sister of the late 
Viscount Clermont. Sir Harry was never married. He 
was born on the 16th September, 1797- The baronetcy- 
devolved upon liis cousin, Thomas Goodricke, Esq., 
on Avhom the Ribston estate was entailed under a family- 
settlement. 

On Thursdajs August 29(h, died at Douglas, Isle of .Alan, 
of Asiatic cholera in the75thyear of his age, the Rev. Edward 



406 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1833.— Aug. 

Parsons, of Leeds. He had preached with much animation 
on the morning of the previous Sabbath, and died after an 
illness of only a few hours. He was for forty-eight years the 
able and popular minisfer of the Independent church as- 
sembling in Silem chapel. He occupied a very dis- 
tinguished station as a minister of the gospel, and was 
honoured with extersive usefulness in promoting the in- 
terests of religion. His death was justly the subject of 
deep and general regret. 

On Friday, the 3()rh of August, and Sunday, the 1st 
of September, the new Wesleyan Methodist chapel, at 
Woodhouse grove, was opened fur public worship. At 
the close of the services the collection amounted to ^£142. 

Sept. 2nd. Joseph Rndcliffe, overlooker at the flax manu-^ 
factory of Mark Walker, Mabgate, Leeds, was committed 
to York on a charge of manslaughter, for having caused 
the death b}^ ill treatment of Samuel 'I'omlinson, a youth 
about 14 years of age, the son of William Tomlinson, a 
cloth dresser, residing in the Jolly Tar yard, Marsh-lane. 
The funeral of the boy on the Sunday following, at, the 
parish church, drew together an immense concourse of 
spectators, among whom v/ere GOO factory children. At 
the spring ass'zes in the following year, Radclilfe was 
convicted of manslaughter, and sentenced to one year's 

imprisonment. .'iOth. Dr. Thorp, the senior physician 

to the Leeds genera] infirmary, having resigned, an election 
took place this day in the hall of the Leeds Philosophical 
and Literary Society. The candidates were: — Dr. Richard 
Hobson, and Dr. Disney Launder Thorp, the son of (he- 
retiring physician. The ballotfing was as follows : — 

Dr. Hobson, ... votes, 279 ; proxies, 153 ; total, 432. 

Dr. D. Thorp, ... „ 143; „ 142; „ 28'». 

Majority in favour of Dr Hobson, ... 147. 

In September, meetings were held ar Dewsbury, Hud- 
ders field, and W^ikefield, to petition for the removal of the 
assizes from York to Wakefield. 

Oct 3rd. A great meeting was held at York to adopt 
measures to do honour to the memoy of the late Mr. 
Wilberforce, the archbishop of York in the chair. Lord 
Morpeth, the lord chancellor, and others took part in the 
proceedings. A ])lan for erecting a column at Hull, his 
native town, was approved of. It was resolved to form a 
benevolent institution of a useful description in the county^ 
and to put up a tablet to the memory of Mr. Wilberforce; 



THE SUllUOUNDING DISTHICT. 407 

1833.— Oct. 

T5ut if the subscriptions be insufficeiit for such an object, 
that they be applied to the erection of a monumen^. A 
very hi.e^hly influential committee was formed to carry oufc 

"the objects of the meeting. A public meetings 

was held at the Court-house, Leeds, on the 11th 
of November, to further the objects of the Wilberforce 
memorial. 1 he mayor, Benjamin Sadler, Es(| , occupied 
the chair. The meeting approved of the plan ])roposed by 
the committee at York, of founding and maintaining there 
a Yorkshire school to bear his name, for instructing the 
indigent blind and educating them in the habits of industry. 
A committee was formed for the purpose of raising sub- 
scriptions and carrying out the objects of the meeting. 
Meetings were held for a similar object at Hucldersfield 
and other places in the West-Riding. 'I'he Yorkshire 
school for the blind at York, was formed, and the column 
at Hull, erected, out of (he sub^^criptions raised. 

Oct. The Leeds and Whitehall road to Halifax was com- 
pleted. The whole distance from the White swan. 
Halifax, to the Exchange, Briggate, Leeds, is fourteen 
miles l,r>22 yards. 

18t.h. Captain Ross landed at Hull in his old ship the 
Isabella, from the polar regions. He sailed in the month 
of May, IS29. Hull did itself honour on the occasion, by 
giving the strangers a welcome that must have been 
gratifying after many privations. Captain Ross, though 
he spent three winters in and near Prince Regent's inlet, 
did not reach a higher latitude than aboui" 74 degrees. He 
discovered that the land near Leopold's island is the north- 
east point of the American continent; and that the sea to 
■which Regent's inlet loads, is not the great arctic ocean, 
but a land-locked sea, to which there are various outlets in 
the direction of Hudson's straits. He ascertained that 
there is no north-west passage to Behring's straits, south 
of North Somerset, in 74 degrees of north latitude. Captain 
Ross had the good fortune to discover the true magnetic 
pole in latitude 7<> degrees, wh^^re the needle stood vertical. 
[It is hov/ever to be noted, that the situation of the pole 
moves on the same parallel at the rate of 11' 49 'a year, 
80 that it will again occupy tlie spot discovered by Ross iu 
the year 37'22 : in other words, it will complete a revolu- 
tion in 1891) years.] The British standard was planted on 
the spot, and the name of king William the fourth formally 
placed ui)on record there. The labours and sufferings of the 
crew almost exceed belief. Their lives were saved by the 
provisions, stores, and boats, which they found on the spot 



408 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 
] 833.— Nov. 

where the Fury had been wrecked nnd left b}'- Captain 
Parry several years belore, T\v ) of the winters were ex- 
ceedingly cold ; the thermonicter beiijg 92 d'^grees below 
the freezing point; yet in this temperature, in a canvass 
tent covered with congealed snow, without extra clothing, 
without beds, without any of the requisite comforts, 
Caijtain Ross and his gallant followers passed their fourth 
winter on Fury beach, close to the sea! 

Nov. (ith. Tlie liberal electors of Leeds gave a public 
dinner at the Commercial buildings to the regresentatives 
of the West-Riding — John Clapham, Escj., ])resided. Mr. 
Strickland, one of the West-Riding members, was absent. 
Lord Morpeth, Mr. Macaulay, and Mr. Marshall took part 

in the i)roceedings. On the following day, at the 

Court-house, a general meeting of the members, sub- 
scribers, and friend;^ of the Leedsmechanics' institution, took 
place, John Marshall, jun., Esq., MP., in the chair, relative to 
the erection of a suitable building for the institution, at 
v/hich stej)S were taken for raising funds for the i)urpose. 

11th. The men in the employ of Messrs. AVillans and Co., 
Holbeck, connected Avith the trades' union, were out on 
strike. In order to resist the demands of the men, Messrs. 
"Willans engaged from thirty to forty workmen from 
Pudsey, who were fed and lodged in the works at Holbeck 
from Monday morning to Saturday night, and by the direc- 
tions of the magistrates, a party of the Leeds police 
escorted them home to Pudsey on Saturday nights and 
back again to Holbeck on Monday mornings. During the 
escort the men suffered a great deal of annoyance, and in 
some instances their lives were endangered by crowds of 
strikers and their sympathers. Four men were fined by 
the magistrates on Tuesday, November 12th, for assaulting 
the Avorkmeu at Pudsey on the morning previously. Also 
John Wildman, John Sharj:), and John Beaumont, were 
tried at the Leeds borough sessions in January following, 
on a charge of riot and assault at Holbeck, on the 16th 
November. They were each sentenced to hard labour in 
the House of Correction — Wildman eight months ; Sharp 
live months ; and Beaumont two months. 

15th. Died of apoplexy, aged 79, Thomas Cookson, Esq., 
of Portland-place, Hull, a native of Leeds. In the days of 
colonel Lloyd, the deceased was a zealous volunteer officer, 
and an individual always respected for his kindness and 
humanity. 

On the 22nd November, died at New Grange, near Leeds, 
aged 69, Thomas Benyon, Esq., many years a deputy-lieu- 
tenant and magistrate for the West-Riding of Yorkshire. 



THE SURHOUMDING DISTRICT 409 

1833 —Nov. 

27th. Died, a^ed 72, at his residence, Leventhorpc house, 
Thomas Ikin, Esq. The deceased was interred in the 
family vault at Swillington church. 

27fh. Lewis Fenton, Esq., M.P. for Huddersfleld, was 
killed by a fall from a window of one of the upper stories 

of his own residence at Sprino: Grove. 2S(h. Died, 

aged 6-t, very suddenly, at Bradford, William Sharp, Esij., 
a highly disfingui.«<hrd surgeon, and a gentleman much 
respected. < Mi (he d<»y of the hr.ieral of the deceased, 
which took ]>lace on the <ith December, all the shops in 
the toM'n of Bradford wore closed. He \\'as interred in 
the family vault in (he church of Gildersome. 

Dec. 2iid. Died, in his HSfh year, John Atkinson, Esq., of 
Leeds, one of the oldest members of fhe legal profession 

in the town. Gth. Died, aged 43, at Chapel-Allerton, 

near Leeds, ^^ hither he had removed for change of air, John 
Arthiugton Payne, M.D., of Thorparci, lately one of the 
physicians of the Leeds intirmary and house of recovery. 

Dec. The Leeds New Gas Company Mas established; 
having purchased the apparatus, &c. from the Oil Gas 
Company for £5,300. The works are in Meadow -lane, 
with gasometer stations at Kirkstallroad and Dewsbury- 
road. The original capital of the company was £30,0J0 : 
the present caj3ital, with loans, amounts to about £I29,00Q. 
The offices of the company are, No. 57, Albion-street. Mr, 
J. R. By water is the manager. 

19th. Fortunatus Dwarris, E.^q , one of the commis.^ioners 
appointed to inquire into the municipal corporations in the 
north of England, attended at fhe Court-house, Leeds, for 
the purpose of prosecuting his inquiries into the constitu- 
tion of the corporation of that town. Before the commission- 
er commenced his enquiry, James Nicholson, Esquire, then 
town-clerk, attended, and read a resolution passed at a 
court of the mayor, aldermen, and burgesses, protesting 
against the legality of the commission, and the power of 
the commissioner to compel the attendance of any member 
or officer of the corporation before them; but stating, fhat 
as the commission had been issued under the king's 
authority, the corporation of Leeds were disposed to pay 
all proper respect to it ; and in consequence thereof, had 
directed him to attend and answer the questions put to 
him on the queries transmitted to the mayor and himself, 
provided such questions were put by the commissioner 
only. Mr. Nichc^lson, replied to the questions put by the 
commissioner, in which he stated — 

" The borough is co-ext«nsive with the parish of Leeds, and the 

35 



410 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1833— Dec. 

parish is divided into eleven townships, each of which sepantely 
maintains its orn poor: that is to say, Hunslet on the south; Hol- 
beck, Beeston, Wortley, Armley, Farn ey, and Bramley, to the west- 
ward ; Headinjrlej^-cum-Burley, Chapel- Allerton, and Potternewton 
to the north. The ancient horoujjh is the same as the parliamentary 
boronjih, as no addition was made h3'- the boundary act. ' The circum- 
ference of the borough is about two-nty-twc- miles, extendino- east'.vard 
about a mile and a half; westward about f Mir miles; northward about 
three miles and a half; and southward about two miles. It contains 
about 20,59.') acvi-.s, and the popnlatim accordinij to the census of 183 1 , 
was 123,303. The charter by which the borouirh of Leed.s was in- 
corporated, was granted in the 13th year of thn reign of kinir Charles 
the second. That is now the ooverniiw charter; it was a confirmation 
of the charfer of the 2rid Ch irles the first. The corporation con.sisfs 
of m.ayor, twelve aldermen, and Iweritr- four assistants; be.'^ides which, 
thern is a recorder, (appointed by the kinjjc for life); deputy recorder, 
town-clerk, (also appointed by the king for life); coroner, and serge lut- 
at-niace The police officers are appointed by the mayor and abler- 
men, acting as iu«<tices of the peace. There is a chief cou-stable, a 
deputj'- constable, a beadle, and the waits ; there used to be three 
waits, but now ther^ are only two. There is also an assist- 
ant beadle. The bell-man is appointed by the lords of the 
manor. There are no freemen, all the inhabitants are con- 
sidered as burgesses. The mayor is chosen annually on Michael- 
mas day, from amongst the aldermen. He holds his oflice for a year, 
unless removi^d for misbehaviour. The aldermen are chosen from the 
a.ssistants, and the assistants from the burgesses at large, and both are 
removable for misbehaviour, although elected for life. The elections 
take place at the Court-hou.se, after three days' notice giv^^n by the 
sergeant-at Tnace. There must at least be present, thp mayor for the 
time being, four aldermen, and fourteen assistants, or aldermpn jointly. 
At the election of mayor, as well as aldermen and a.s.sista'its, the per- 
sons are proposed and seconded, and it is competent for any member 
of the corporation present to ])ropose another. The aldermen generally 
take the office in rotation All the alder.r.en are justices of the peace. 
The coroner and serireant-at- mace is chosen by the mayor and alder- 
men only. The chief con.stable and deputy constable are appointed by 
the magistrate.-'. The mayor, aldermen, recorder, and deputy recorder, 
are ex-officio justices of the peace, and as such preside at the quarter 
sessions. I'he recorder sits as judge on the risht of the mayor r his 
salary is .£'21, which is paid by the corporation; and by wliom the 
like sum is paid to the deputy recorder. T.be mayor, witli one or two 
aldermen, also attend twice a week, to hold a pett.r sessions for the 
disposal of parochial business, and such matters as require two justices. 
One or two magistrates attend the other days in the week, to hear and 
ds.spose of .'Jucli ca.>^es as are brought forward b^- the police and watch- 
men, and to transact any other incidental busine.ss. The mayor and 
aldermen are also commi.ssioners under the improvement act, 5th Geo. 
IV. Neither mayor, aldermen, or assistants, have any salary, nor any 
fees nor emolunu-nt.s of any kind. The town clerk is clt;rk of the 



THE SUKKOUNDlNrt DlSTlilCT. 411 

18T3— Dkc. 

peace at the quarter se.>ssion.s, as well a.s clerk of in<lictnients. He is 
also clerk to the magistrates. He attend.s the courts ui" mayor, aLier- 
men, and a.ssi.stants, and takes minutes of their })rocee(liiii;s. His 
emulurnents arise from fees. Quarter se.s>-ion's fees in:^y amount to 
^'150 per annum. A.s towuclerk and clerk to the justices, his net inconu', 
after pa.virent of clerks' salaries, pTintiiij>, and stationery, .'unounts <« 
about d^i)'-)(). His gejieral lau- busine>s dues Jiot averaire above ji'^O a 
year. The coroner is paid in the usual \v;ty, 20s. fur each i]iqu - 
sition, and mileage. 1 hf^re are about eighty inquests in the .yea-. The 
salary of the sergeant- at- mace is ^'10 a year. He also gets r)s. upon 
the election of every new oflicer of the corporation. The rliief con- 
stable receives only d,'o a year from the corporation i"und for his 
attendance; the deputy constable, the beadle, an.d deputy Ijeadle, 
.£3 16s. each. The '.visits have nothing but their clorlics. The 
beadle and deputy beadle have annually a suit of clothes at the ex- 
pen.se of the corporation. All the inhahitants are exempt from servings 
on juries out of the borough. The sum of c£!4: 1.3s. 4d. is paid by 
every assistant on being elected alderman; .md ^'10 ]3.s. 4d. is paid 
by every burgess on being elected assistarit, whicli sums are paid to the 
trea.surer of the corporation. The mayor on heinir elected, pays only 
about 2'-)s. The lines imposed b^- the corporation, are, .£'400 on every 
assistant, and .i^aOO on every alderman retusing to take oiHce within 
ten days after election. .^*400 o-i resignation of assislant, or <^"50U on 
alderman without consent of corporation, unless he has ceased to reside 
withni the borough for twelve months; or the alderman shall have 
attained the age of 70 years ^'400 for refusing to serve the oliice of 
mayoi, never ha,ving served; d-'SOO for refnsa,! af(er having served 
once; ^200 ibr twice; and .^'K'O lor every subsequent refusal. In 
addition to the quarter sessioiis and petty sessions, the magistrates 
hold a brewster sessions annuallj', for granting licenses. There are at 
present 296 lice:i.sed puhlic-hoi:ses in the Ijorongh. The only property 
of which the corporation is posses.sed,is ^£'6,500 three per cent, consols,- 
and ^'oCO lent out at interest; which .-ums have been derived from fmes= 
by its own members for refusal to serve offices. Fines are their on)y 
.source of income. Their annual income is about .£-2-20 ; the annual 
payments about ^ICO lor reorders' salarie.^., m.ice- hearer s salary, 
clcthe.s to beadles and others, and rents of pews in churches. Various 
sums have from rime to time b?en contributed by the coiporation out- 
of their private fund, for the improvement of the town, and for public 
purpo.ses. In tlie year 1/90, they gave .^'oOO in aid of the supplies 
for the defence of the country; \\i 1806, ^'400 tow.irds opening a 
new street frmn Brii;gate to C'omn.ercial-street ; in 18-21, .^824 2s. 6d. 
for the rent and fitting up of premises to be used as temporary 
barracks, for the accommcxiation of soldiers during a time of popular 
turrult; and in the year 18-26, £'2r)J 8s. 3d. towards the commutation 
of the vicarial tithes of the borough." 

At the conclusion of the einiuiry, the commissioner 
asked the opinions of those present as to whether the 
mode of electing corporate officcr.s was sati-sfactory to the 



412 ANNALS OF LKEDS, YORK, AND 

1833— Dec. 

inhabitanis at large, and whether any and what change 
could he suggested. Mr. Richardson, solicitor, said that in 
his opinion a large majority of the inhMbitants would be 
favourable to a more open system of election, and Mr. John 
Clapham expressed an opinion to the same effect. Mr. 
Bean and Mr. Thomas Fountain expressed an opposite 
opinion. 

•25th. Died, Thomas Tennant, Esq., of Leeds, aged 69 
years. A tablet in memory of tiie deceased is placed in 
the Leeds parish church, and bears the following in- 
scription : — 

" Iri this chancel are interred the remains of Thomas Tennant, 
Esq , a senior alderman, and for thirty-nine years a member of the 
corporation; three times rna^-or, and a.d. 1832, the returning otlicer 
at the first elf-ction of members of parliament for the borough of Leeds. 
'By energy and impartiality as a magistrate, integrity in the discharge 
of puhlic trusts, snundne.^s of iudgmentand affability of manners, he gain- 
ed the general respect of his iello-v-townsmen. An atfectionate hu.sband, 
an indulgent father, a conscientious member of the established church, 
and a sincere christian; he was justly endeared to his family and 
friends. Born in London, viii Oct., mdcclxiv; died at Leeds, 
.;xxv. Dec, mucccxxxih." 

As a further memorial, near the above is a beautiful 
stained glass window, in the same church, by O'Connor, 
of London, representing the descent from (he cross, under 
which are the words, "Behold the Lamb of God." 'I'he 
lucre iulity of Thomas, with the words " My Lord and my 
God." 'I'he re-appearance of Christ to Mary, where she 
says, " Itabboni." The upper part has a figure representing 
the ascension. The window w^as erected by his surviving 
children, in the year of grace 1853. 

2Gth. The village of iStillinglleet, near York, was plunged 
into the deepest aftliction by an accident which occurred 
on the river Ouse this day. The singers connected with 
the parish church of the village had been out singing, as is 
usual at Christmas time. They had been to Moorby and 
Acaster, and were proceeding at half-past four o'clock in a 
boat to Kel Held. At a place called Mill Mouth, about a 
quarter of a mile from Acaster, they met a vessel coal- 
laden coming down the river, hauled by a horse. The 
party in the boat called out to Stephen Green, the hauliug 
man, to hold the line tight so as to allow them to go under 
Green, instead of doing this, slackened the rope to let 
the boat go over it, when one of the men seized the rope 
and attempted to throw it over the boat : in this he failed, 
and the line cafched the stern of the boat, which, being 



THE .SUHROUiSDI^(i DISTHICT. 413 

1833.— Dec. 

thrown on her broadside, instantly filled with water and 
capsized; and melancholy to relate, out of a party of 
fourteen, no less than eleven human beiisgs, live men and 
six youuM women, were drowned. The loUowing is a list 
of" the sufferers ; — noniy j^^penee. labourer, aged 50, and his 
two (l;nlgh;el^•, Sarah, aged jfi, and Bes^sy, aged 15; 
("iuis'iopher ."-j.encr. brother fd IJrnry, aged 40; John 
Tun cr, t.-ai ri( r, aged 59, iiiid .lane Tunier. his daughter, 
a^' d ki : i homas "Wtb-sti r. labourer; "William Briston, 
ofticiatuig j;arish elcrk ; r*arali Eccles, agtd Ifi; Elizabeth 
Buckle, aged 15, daughter of Mr. Buckle, innkeeper; 
and Clarissa Sturdy, aged 17, daughter ol Mr. Sturdy, 

schoolmaster. 27th. Died, aged 100 years, .lohn Steel, of 

Moiikton, near Boroughbridge. He retained his faculties 
in vigour to the last, and distinctly remembered when a 
boy, going to see the king's troops encamped on Kirby-hill 
moor, during the rebellion of 1745; also many other r ver.ts 
in the early part of th.c reign of George the second. 

On Tuesday, the 31st of December, Yorkshire and the 
adjacent counties were visited by one of the most trensen- 
dous hurricanes ever remembered. Early in the morning, 
the rain began to fall, and tov\ards noon the wind blev/ 
with great violence from the west and north-west. At 
Leeds as at other places, stacks of chimneys were blown 
do^vn, lead and slates forced away, whole windows in 
many cases blown in, and trees, &c., uprooted. At the 
residence of Mr. Richard Heaps, plumber, of Headingley- 
bill top, a chimney fell into the yard; and shortly after- 
wards, another chimney was blown down, falling upon the 
roof and through the ceiling, burying the servant girl and 
the eldest chile of HeapsV, about two years old, in the ruins. 
An infant child of Mrs. Heaps's was knocked out of her 
arms and so alarmed her, that she jumped out of the" 
window eight or nine feet high, to obtain assistance. The 
servant girl was found to have her leg broken : the eldest 
child had her face much bruised, her thigh dislocated, and 
her leg broken. The infant was unhurt. The chimneys 
and roots of two houses in Mount preston were blown off, 
ill the occupation of Mr. Stott and Mr. Brown. The factory 
chimney of Messrs, Read and Newby, near St, Peter's hill, 
was blown down, and killed a horse in the stable. A 
chimney at Mr. Stirk's iron foundry was blown down. 
The greater portion of Mr. Fairbairn's chimney at "West- 
end was blown down. "Woodhouse church, and the resi- 
dence of Mr. Gilyard Scartb. at Gipton Lodge, were partly 
unroofed ; and the belfry at the Corn Exchange was blown 



414 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1834.— Jan. 

down. In <he neighbourhood, and all the country ronrid, 

immense damaofe was done, though the instances of loss 

ot life were very few. 

1834. Jan. 1st. The "Factory act" came into opera- 
tion this day, by which no person under IS years of age 
'was allowed to work between the hours of half- past 
eigiit o'clock in tlie evening and half- past five in the 
morning, or be employed more than twelve hours a daj', 
or sixty-nine hours a w^eek : OTie hour and a half a day 
being allowed for meals. No child under nine years of 
age to be employed, except in silk mills. Six months 
after the passing of the act no child under eleven years 
of age to work more than forty-eight hours a week, or 
nine hours a day; nor after eighteen months, any child 
under twelve years ; nor after thirty months, under 
thirteen years of age To have holiday on Christmas 
day and Good P^iday, and eight half days in the year, 
at the pleasure of the master. Besides which, provisions 
were made for the appointment of insjiectors, &c., for the 
education of the children by the establishment of schools, 
and the appointment of schoolmasters, &c. 

Norrison Scatcherd, Esq., of Morley. addressed a letter 
bearing date 1st January, 1S34, to the editor of the 
Leeds Intelligencer, and which is inserted in the paper 
for the 18th January, giving a very interesting account of 
some local tokens of the tradesmen of the IJth cen- 
tury. He says, "Such is the extreme rarity of these 
tokens, that, after a search of at least twenty years, I have 
but been able to collect thirty-one of them, out of Avhich 
number, four if not five be'ong to Leeds, one to Halifax, 
and many to the chief places in their vicinity. You will 
accept their description in the following order: — 

'• Isthas on its obverse side, " William Docker, of Leeds," who, in 
an inner circle, is fijrur-r'd with a hare slnng npon his hack, over a staff 
which he carries. Oji the reverse we have " Drawer, his peny, IfyO," 
'in the inner circle are two birds like partridges, but apparently fii;hting 
like chickens. As this token was struck about a century before the 
game certificate act was passed, I fancy that Docker must have been 
a dealer in game, and poulterer; and by a ^ drawer,' I infer is meant, 
noi a cloth., but a ici>'e or net drawer; hare hanger, or poacher. 

"2nd has on the obverse outer circle, "Ambrose Ambler"; inner 
circle, (b2tween two tobacco pipes), is something like the grate of an 
hearthstone, or an implement of a wool-comber ; on the reverse, ■' His 
Halfpeny"; outer circle, "In Leeds, 1669." The pipes at least, 
indicate his business. 

"3rd, obverse, "John Walker," and three crowns, which I takf it 
Was the sign of his public liotise; reverse, "In Leeds, 1666," "His 
Halfpeny." This was found in a cellar in Briggate. 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 415 

1834 —Jan. 

" 4th has on it, " I pass to and fro for a halfpeny " ; reverse, " In 
Leeds, 1668."', with a .shield in the inner circlr. 

"5th, obver:se, "\Ydli;im Faw.son"; inner circle, "His halfepeny"; 
rever.se, " In Clo.ith Faire''; inner circle, " W. F." and three stars, 
perhaps the sign of his inn^ or .symbol of" his faith. 

"6th, obverse, ''Francis Conjers, of Midlton, in Yorkshire, His 
halfpeny, 1669 "; reverse, "For the use of the Cole pitts " , a bird 
crested, and feathered to the foot, with the beak also of a tunibler pigeon, 
appears in the inner circle.'" 

The elcciion of a member to serve in parliament for the 
borough of Huddersfield, in the place of Captain Fenton, 
commenced on the 6th of January, and terminated on the 
9fh. At th.e close of tiic poll, the numbers were : — for Mr. 
Blackburne,234. Mr. M T. Sadler, 147. Captain AVood, 108. 

Leed? Electiox, vice- Mr. Macanluy. — The appointment 
of Mr. Macaulay to a seat in the council of the governor- 
general of India, created a vacancy in the representation 
of Leeds. The appointment was announced to the people 
of that town on the oOth of November, 1S33, and on the 
6th of December, a meetiug was held of " The Leeds as- 
sociation for the promotion of the return of Liberal members 
to parliament for tiie borough of Leeds, and the West- 
Riding of York," under the presidency of Mr. Marshall, 
senr., to consider the candidate to be brought forward by 
"the reformers. Several names were mentioned, but no de- 
cision was oome to on that occasion. It was however 
decided at a fuller meeting on the 13th, to bring out the 
late Mr. E. Baines. A requisition in compliance with Mr. 
Bailies' wish was got up, and received in about a fortnight, 
1467 signatures, besides a large number of promises from 
voters who declined to sign. On the presentation of this 
requir*ition on the Oeth of December, Mr. Baines deter- 
mined to offer himself. On the •22nd of January, 1S34, the 
conservatives met, and resolved to call forward the Rt. 
hon. Sir John Beckett, bart. ; the eldest member of the 
family of wealthy bankers in Leeds, and the son-in-law of 
the earl of Londsdale. The Radical party amongst the 
liberals brought out Mr. Joshua Bower, an old and staunch 
reformer. The electors were addressed by Mr. Baiues, in 
the yard of the coloured clolhhall, on the 31st of Decem- 
ber, and by Mr Bowers, in the free market on the lollow- 
ing day. Sir John Beckett addressed the electors on the 
2Sth of January. The nomination was lixed for the 13th of 
February, when an enormous assemblage (said to have ex- 
ceeded 40,000 persons) took place on Woodhouse moor. 
The day was beautifully fine, and the interest excited in 



416 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 
1834.-^Fkb. 

the election was ver}' great. Benjamin Sadler, Esq., mayor 
was the returning officer. John Gott, Esq., proposed, and 
Joseph Robert Atkinson, Eaq , seconded the nomination of 
Sir John Beckett. James Garth Marshall, Esq., proposed^ 
and John Clapham, Esq., seconded the nomination of Ed- 
ward Baincs, Esq. Mr. John Heaps, proposed, and Mr. 
F. E. Bingley, seconded the nomination of Joshua Bower, 
Esq. After the several candidates had addressed the elect- 
ors, and being- questioned by Mr. Heaps, and others, the 
mayor called for a show of hands, and declared that Mr. 
Bowers had the largest show. The supporters of Mr, 
Baines warmly disputed the correctness of this decision, 
and contended that Mr. Baines had the majority. A poll 
was demanded on behalf of Mr. Baines, and Sir John Beck- 
ett. Mr Bowers m returning thanks for the show of hands, 
said, "Gentlemen, I thank you for the show of hands. 
Fear not little flock ! It will be at the poll, that you have 
to come up now." Mr. Bowers replied to an operative 
who said, *' Jossey, you had better give it up, and let them 
have it to them two selves, you will not get in." " No I 
no ; I will not desert my little flock, I will neither placard 
nor publish at my own expense. I am in the iield, and 
will stop there." The poll commenced on the following 
day (the 14th) with great spirit. At the close of the first 
day. Sir John Beckett, according to his own committee, 
had a majority of 84. The numbers as given by Mr. Baines* 
committee, were : — Beckett, 1,663, Baines, 1,593, Bowers, 
19. The pollhig was continued on Saturday the 15th, and 
a more exciting struggle never occurred at an election. At 
ten o'clock, Mr. Baines was said to have a majority of 
one, and at one o'clock, a majority of thirty. On the close 
of the poll, at four o'clock, the numbers were as follow : — 

Mr. Bailies, W. 1,951. 

Sir John Beckett, T. 1,917. 

Mr. Bower, R. 24. 

Majority for Baines over Sir John Beckett, 34. The mayor 
declared the result of the poll on the Monday following. 
On the ]7th of February, the friends of Sir John Beckett 
gave a dinner in his honour, and a s'milar demonstration 
was given to Mr. Baines, by his friends, on the 20th of 
February. On the 6th of March, a splendid ball was given 
at the assembly rooms, and the music hall, in honour of 
Sir John Beckett. 

Feb. 19th. The foundation stone of St. Peter's chapel, 
Leeds, was laid this day, (and at the time of its erection, 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 417 

1834— Feb. 

was the lar{j:est chapel in England) by the AYcsleyan Meth- 
odists of Leeds cast circuit, and stands on a j)lot of 
ground adjoining the first chapel built by that comaumity 
in this town ; and which was opened by the founder of the 
society, the Hew John '\Veslcy, in the year 1751, The 
chai)cl was opened for jjublic worship in October of the 
same year. It is a commodious place of worship, and is 
built of brick. The gallery is continued round the chapel, 
and contains a got>d organ. Attaclied to the chapel is a 
burial ground, now out of use. Formerly there was a 
chapel below the i)rc^eiit one, which was Jounded in 1771, 
and bore the smg-ular tirle of the " Oh^ Boggard House." 
The site of it is indicated by an outline of brick- work. 
The present edihce will accomodate nearly 3,000 persons. 

March. There were living at this time in the hamlet of 
Addle, near Leeds, seven farmers whose united ages 

amounted to 57(i years. April 2nd, About 4,000 

persons attended the election of churchwardens at the 
Leeds parish church, and the proceedings were conducted 
with a great deal of uproar and party spirit. The vicar 
tamed Mr. Garland as his own churchwarden. The meeting 
then proceeded to the election of those chosen by the 
parishioners. Mr. Buttery, a dissenter, and Mr. Perring, 
a churchman were j)roposed. and the former had the 
show of hands. A poll was then demanded by Mr. Perring, 
which was granted by the vicar. The friends of Mr. But- 
tery objected to a })oll, and decided to jjroceed with the 
election by a show of hands. The vicar in consequence 
vacated the chair. Mr Baker, surgeon, was then aj)poin^ed 
chairman, and the election proceeded. At the annual visi- 
tation of ihe clergy by Archdeacon Markham, on the 18th 
of June, seven of the churchwardens appointed at the 
above meeting could not be sworn in, in conseciuence of a 
caveat having been entered against their election, namely 
J. A. Buttery, Richard Reynolds, Luke Marsh, Joseph Bate- 
son, Peter Fairbairn, John Wilkinson, and William Brace- 
well. In November the court ol king's bench granted a rule 
to show cause why a mandamus should not issue to com- 
mand a new election of churchwardens. 

April. Hannah Roberts died in York castle, while 
there on a charge of poisoning William Newton, at 

Hunslet. April. The poor in Leeds at this time had 

to endure great privations, and their sufferings were 
aggravated by a struggle between the associated masters 
and the operatives trades' union. The former resolved 
to refuse employment to workmen who would not sign 



418 ANNALH OB' LKEDS, YORK, AND 

1834.— April. 

a declaration renouiicing all connexion with the union; 
and the latter determined to stand firm by the union. 
On the 7th of" April, about 3,000 of the unemployed 
workmen assembled on Wood house moor, to discuss 
their grievances. As the struggle was likely to be ob- 
stinate, and the consequences severe, most of the meu 
ultimately gave way on the recommendation of their 

leaders. 7th. A public meeting of the inhabitants 

of Leeds took place at tlie Court-house, to petition 
parliament m favour of election of members oT parlia- 
ment by ballot. James Musgrave occupied the chair. 
J. G. Marshall, Mr. Gaunt, solicitor, Mr. Richardson, 
solicitor, Mr. Yewdall, Mr. E. Baines, jun., Mr. Baines, 
M.P., and Mr. John Marshall, severally sppke in favour 
of the ballot as a protection to the voter. 

June 2,'5th. A highly respectable meeting of the mem- 
bers of the established church, resident in the borough 
of Leeds, was held at the Court house, to vote an 
address to the king in acknowledgment of his majesty's 
recent declaration of attachment to the established 
church. The mayor, Benjamin Sadler, Esq., occupied 
the chair, and speeches were delivered by John Gott, 
Esq., the Rev. the vicar of Leeds, the Rev. Joseph 
Holmes, Mr. Hey, the Rev. Miles Jackson, T. H. Marshall, 
Esq., Robert Hall Esq., and others. 

July 12th. Ripon and the whole neighbourhood Avas 
shaken by a tremendous explosion, occasioned by a convul- 
sion of nature, about a mile from the town, by which the 
earth had been affected to such a degree as to leave a fissure 
nearly twenty yards in width, and twenty- four in depth. 

Ou Sunday evening, the 27th of July, a disgraceful fight 
took place in a field adjoining the Leeds barracks, between 
two men, one of whom Avas a soldier. A crowd of people 
had assembled to Avitness the fight, and a great deal of ex- 
citement prevailed. After the tight was over, some of the 
soldiers dreAV tlieir swords nnd chased several people out 
of the field. One of the soldiers named Joseph Clihbron, 
struck Avith his swoi-d scA'eral times, a person named John 
Beckett, a cloth-dresser at Gotf's factory, and residing at 
Westminster place, new road end, as he was getting over 
the Avail, and inflicted such wounds as to cause his death on 
the following day. Clibbron was committed to York on 
a charge of wilful murder. At the spring assizes in the 
following year, the indictment for wilful murder was 
ignored by the grand jury, and the prisoner then pleaded 
guilty to a charge of manslaughter. He was sentenced to 



THE SURllOaNDINQ DISTRICl 419 

1834— Aug. 

be imprisoned and kept to hard labour in the House of 
Correction, at 'SVakefield, for the space of two years. 

Augrust ist. This being the day named in the Slaver}'- 
abolition act, as that on which slavery was to cease through- 
out the British empire, the event was commeinorated in 
Leeds, by the various religious bodies as a day of thanks- 
giving. 1st. The Srststoneof a commemorative column 

at Hull, to the honour of Wm. AVilberforce, Esq. M'as laid 
by Richard Bethell, Esq , M.P. for the East-Riding of 
Yorkshire, being the day on which the public labours of 
Mr. Wilberforce were <.'loriously consumated by the 
abolition of slavery in the British dominions. Ou Sun- 
day evening, the 3rd ot August, between five and seven 
o'clock, a most awful thundersitorm passed over the bor- 
ough of Leeds. At Hnnslet, near Park-field house, i.-ev/s- 
bury Road, Eliza Emery, a child eight years old, was 
struck by the lightning and killed, while sitting in a house 
with three other children, who only received a slight in- 
jury. 

September, At the beginning of this month, the cholera 
made its appearance in the Leeds workhouse, four or five 
of the inmates having been attacked with the disease at 
the same time : up to the 5th three cases had proved latal; 
and in the evening of that day Mr. Rawling, tlie master of 
the \vorkhouse was attacked with so mucii virulence, that 
he expired on tlie following day. On Sunday, the 7th, five 
cases proved fatal, and up to Saturday, the 13th of Sep- 
tember, there had been thirty -five cases, out of which 

number, fourteen had terminated in death. 11th. A 

special sessions of the justices of the peace for the v/est- 
Riding of Yorkshire, was held at the court house, Wake- 
field, to take into consideration the memorials presented 
to the masristrates at the last Ponteiract sessions from 
Huddersneld, Pontefract, and other places, recommending 
that the assizes be removed from York to Yv'akefield. The 
Right hon. lord WharnclifTe presided, and fifty-four other 
magistrates were present. The court decided by forty- 
seven against seven, not to recommend the removal. 

22Md. The Leeds and Selby railway ^^•as opened this 
day. 29th. Dr. William Buckland, professor of geol- 
ogy in the university of Oxford, and M. Agassiz, professor 
of geology at Neufchatel, and Sir George Head, (aulhor 
of a journey across the Pampas ; Scenes in South America, 
&c.) visited Leeds, their object being the inspection of 
the geological specimens in the musuem of the Philosophi- 
cal and literary society. They were much pleased v/ith 



420 ANKALH OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

J 834— Sept. 

the larger j^pecimens of fossil plants from the coal forma- 
tion of the district, and more particularly so, with the 
fine specimens of fossil fish, from the same formation. The 
largest of these, "svhich was formerly considered a surian, 
was pronounced hy M. Agass^z to be a fish. 

30! h. A splendid banquet and ball were given at Went- 
worth house, in commemoration of lord A'iscount Milton 
having attained his majority. The festival had been post- 
poned from February, 18o3, when the noble viscount came of 
age, in consequence of the demise of the late venerable earl 
Fitzvvillam, his grandfather. The preparations for the 
event were on the most magnificent scale, and everything 
that ingenuity could devise, or wealth supply, was freely 
brought forth to grace an entertainment in honour of the 
heir of the illustrious house of "Wenfworth. Upwards of 
a thousand persons were [jresent, embracing the principal 
nobility and gentry of the county, and persons of dis- 
tinction from all parts of the country. The noble saloon, 
sixty feet square, and forty- five feet in elevation, Avasi 
crowded in every part ; and there the dancing was enjoyed. 
The skilful band of Weippert had been summoned from the 
metropolis for the occasion, and formed an orchestra 
worfhy of the opera itself. The surrounding recesses of 
the saloon were tilled with raised couches, forming a sort 
of Turkish divan running round the Avails, and beingcovered 
with crimson, gave great Avarmth and richness to the 
scene. Around, at a height of about twenty-feet, was a 
projecting gallery Avith a railed balustrade, forming a 
balcony that ran around the entire square of the saloon, into 
which the more respectable of the tenantryof the noble earl's 
estates Avere admitted to see the entertainment, and it 
Avas completely filled. In the breaks between the lower 
recesses, and forming an interval therefore between the 
crimson couches, were convex semic'rcular flower stands, 
on Avhich were tastefully arranged rich beds of plants and 
flowers of every hue; and these again admirably varied 
with coloured lamps, that seemed like glow-worms shoot- 
ing out their brilliant lights from beneath the clustered 
leaves Avhich yet retained the freshness of the dew amid 
which they Avere gathered. From the centre of this lofty 
saloon Avas suspended an immense outbranching chandelier, 
filled with a thousand burning lamps; around the cornice 
and frieze, and beneath the dentated projection of Ihe 
upper gallery, or projecting balcony, ran along a treble 
tier of similar lamps ; the wall-^ below Avere covered with 
gracefully disposed festoons of light, framed of the same 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 421 

18^4 —Oct. 

description of lamps, and rich gold candelaLras ; bronzed 
sinumbras were placed wherever pedestals could be intro- 
duced to support them, till the Avliole became ore sea, or 
flood of brilliance so intense, tliat it seemed to realise the 
enchanting- scenes of tiction : in short, such a combination 
of all that is gorgeous in grandeur — all that is sumptous in 
hospifality — all that is captivating in beauty — all that ig 
exub: rent in enjoyment may not, and ought to be witnessed 
but rarely. 

Oct. 3rd. Died, in the OGih year of his age, Mr. William 
Butterworth, of Headingley, formerly an engraver in Leeds. 
Few men lived more resj)ected, or died more regretted, 
Mr. Butterworth, in early life, had travelled and seen much 
of (he world, as is proved in a work ho published, 
entitled, "Adventures of a Minor"; now scarce. 

9th. Mr. Hildyard, the revising barrister of the borough 
of Leeds, terminated his labours; the court having been 

open twenty-one days. 16th. The tM'o houses of 

parliament were destroyed by fire, originating in careless- 
ness on the part of some "workmen in over-heating the 
stoves in the House of Lords. Many valuable things were 
lost; and among others, the original death-warrant of 

Charles the first. 26th, During the service in Ebenezer 

Wesleyan Methodist chapel, Guernsey, a panic seized the 
congregation : the gas lights had gone out, and a ground- 
less alarm was given that the place v/as on fire. About 
a thousand persons were present, most of w^hom myde a 
rush to the door; some breaking the windows to escape • 
and the confusion and crush was tremendous. Seven 
persons were killed, and scores received severe injury. 

Nov. Mr. Robert Baker, surgeon, was appointed sub- 
inspector of factories nnder Mr. Rickards, in the Leeds 
district. 

Dec. I7th. A most uproarious and protracted meeting 
took place in the Music hall, Albion-street, Leeds, called 
by Dr. Warren, of Manchester, Avho had been expelled the 
Methodist society by the conference. Mr. Gilyard Scarth 
attended the meeting to defend the society from the attacks 
of Warren. 

1835. Jan. 1st The act passed in the last session of par- 
liament tor reducing to a regular and uniform system the 
weights and measures in common use, came into operation 
this day. In some of the towns and villages in this 
district, considerable dissatisfaction was manifested on 
the first enforcement of the provisions oi" the act; but 



422 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 
1835.— Jan. 

this feclincr 80on disappeared, and all classes subsequently 
acknowiedcrcd the beneficial effects of the change. 

5th. General Election. — On the 29th of December, 
1834, the first reformed parliament was dissolvod, and a 
general election ensued. The Leeds nomination took 
place on Woodhouse moor, on the ^th. of January, 1835, 
where from thirty to forty thousand people had as- 
sembled. The Whigs and Tories had resolved to fight 
two candidates Avitli two. The former nominated Edward 
Baines, and William Brougham, of tlie chancery bar, 
brother of the late lord chancellor. The latter brought 
out Sir John Beckett, (who had been restored to his old 
office of judge advocate), and Colonel Plumbe Tempest. 
BaincH and Brougham had the largest show oi' hands. 
The polling commenced on the 8th and terminated on 
the 0th. ColoTiel Tempest withdrew from the contest. 
At the close of the first day, the numbers polled were: 
for Sir John Beckett, 1,389; Mr. Baines, 1,304; Mr. W. 
Brougham, 1,232. The final close of the poll was as 
follows : — 

Sir John Beckett, (T.) 1,941. 

Edimrd Baines, (W.) 1,803. 

William Brougham, (W.) 1,G55. 

Colonel Tempest, (T.) 4. 

The two former were therefore elected. Sir J. Beckett 
had 1,791 plumpers; Mr. Baines, 45; and Mr. Brougham, 
17. The split votes were, Baines and Broujrham, 1,630; 
Baines and Beckett, 128; Brougham and Beckett, IS; 
Tempest and Beckett, 4,-3,633 voted. 

The election at Bradford resulted in the return of 
John Hardy and E. C. Lister. The result of the ])oll 
was, for l-iardy, (T.) 611; Lister, (W.) 589; and George 
Hadf.eld, (W.) 392. The election at Halifax gave rise 
to a contest unparalled for excitement and severity. 
The candidates were — Charles Wood, the hon. J. S. 
Wortley, and Edward Protheroe, jun. The two former 
were elected. The result of the poll was as follows : — 
Y/ood, (W.) 333: Wortley, (T.) 308; Protheroe, (W.) 307. 
The defeat of Mr. Protheroe by a majority of one, excited 
such indignation among his supporters, that at the close 
of the poll, the town was at the mercy of a large mob 
armed with all kinds of weapons and missiles, who 
made an indiscriminate attack upon the dwellings of 
those who had had the courage to exercise the franchise 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 423 

1835.— Jax. 

as became free and iudependeut meu. 'I'lie outiageoii,3 
proceedings of the rioters at one period, excited con- 
siderable anxiety for the safety of life, but tlio arrival 
of a troop of lancers, at seven o'clock in the evening, 
effected their dis[)ersion, and restored trancjuillity. The 
result of this attempt to enforce " mob law," cost ui)v>'ard8 
of two thous^and pounds: twenty-siy jiarties having re- 
covered damages from the "hundred rates" of Agbrigg 
and Morlev, for the destruction of windows and furniture. 

At Waketield, Daniel Gaskell was returned. The 
result of the poll was— Gaskell, (R.) 27S; the hon. Vv^ 

S. Lascelles, (T.) -221. Lord Morpeth and Sir George 

Strickland were elected for the Vrest-Riding. 

Srh. A fire broke out in the warehouse of Tilessrs. 
Taylor, Son, and Gibson, Albion-street, Leeds, by whioli 
property was destroyed to the amount of 4^10,000. 

I2th. The heckling shop of Mr. Stirk, flax spinner, 
York-strcer, was reduced to a mere shell by fire, and 

£500 worth of models destroyed. That beautiful 

bird, the Bohemian v.ax-wing, visited Yorkshire in great 
numbers during the winter. They liNC on hav/s, ivy 
berries, ike, like the field-fare. 

On Sunday evening, January 24th, great excifemeii'fe. 
prevailed in Sheffield, and subsec^ueutly riotous actS" 
were committed, for the suppression of which it wj^.s 
necessary to call out the military. The affair arose out 
of a drunken brawl between a man and his wife, who 
were employed to take care of the medical school, ia 
Eyre-street. The husband had turned the wile into the 
street, and she soon raised a crowd v»ith the cry of 
murder. The police took the husband to prison. At 
eight o'clock on the following morning, a large number 
of persons, bent on mischief, assembled in the vicinity 
of the house, of which they soon had possession. The 
mob then commenced the dcstrucliou of the ])remise8, 
breaking the frames of the windows, and ejecting into 
the street every article of furniture in the house, of 
which a fire was kindled by the people outside. The 
building was soon completely gutted — the very staircasje 
and floors being torn up and committed to the flames — 
everything that would burn was added as fuel to the 
fire in the street. The efforts of the constables to stay 
the work of destruction was unavailing ; and the military 
had to be called out before the mischief of the depredators 
could be suppressed. 

Feb 4th. Jonathan Greenwood, weaver, Parkin's-roW) 
Barnsley, after working late, sat by his house fire, and 



424 ANNALS OF LEKDS, YORK, AND 

lh35— Fkb. 

fell asleep. During- his sleep, he fancied that he was 
still ill his workshop, and that his piece (drill) had got 
on fire; he rose from his chair during this dream, and 
actually scraped the fire out of the grate with his bare 
hands. He was at leng-th a^vaked, but not until he had 

been dreadfully burnt. Sth. A storm of thunder and 

lightning', accompanied by hail and wind, i)revailed 
generally throughout Yorksliiro. The spire of Linth- 
waite church was struck and bent cut of the perpendi- 
cular. Golcar church was also struck by the lightning, 
and two large stones were blown clean out of the spire: 
one iA' them fell with such force as to break down 
several yards of <he church yard wall; another fell on 
tlie roof, broke through into the body of the church, and 
fell close to the clerk's desk. 2;}rd. During a tem- 
pestuous Avind at Peterborough, a fire broke out in a 
lodging-house, and almost instantly the flakes were 
;1)orne by the hurricane oa to nearly fifty houses in the 
neighbourhood which hid thatched roofs. A stream of 
fire seemed to flow along the roofs, and for about a 
quarter of a mile the houses one after another fell sacri- 
fices to the devouring element. la two hours, sixty-five 
Iiouses were completely destroyed, and many others 
partially injured. A great amou!it of property was lost. 
Sixty-.six families, consisting of 300 individuals, were 
driven from their homes; one poor woman was burnt to 
death, and two otliers were much scorched. 

23rd. Leeds and the neighbourhood was also visited 
by a tremendous gale, which lasted from Suiiday night 
till Monday night. The wind blew with such violence, 
that it was dangerous for {)eople to walk abroad. The 
cloth drcssi!)g premises of Mr. Laycock, Sheepscar, were 
blown in by the wind ard reduced to a mass of ruins. 
Two men were killed and three others severely injured. 
The press sliop chimney of Messrs. O. Willans, at Kirk- 
stall, was blown down and fell into the river. The 
dye-house chimney of Messrs. York and Sheepshanks, 
West-streer, was blown down. It broke through the 
roof, the iirst floor of the upper room, and to the ground 
Uoor. Three persons were buried in the ruins. The 
engine chimney of Messrs. Smith and Co., Bowmati-lane, 
was blown down. The chimney at the house of Mr. 
Harlan d, Osmond thorpe, fell upon the roof and burst 
through. A similar accident took place at the house of 
Dr. Williamson, in Park-place. The workmen of Messrs. 
Manby and Illing worth, timber merchants, Crown point. 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 4:23t 

1835.— March. * 

had left the timber shed for the purpose of watching; 
the rocking of a large chimney. They had only left 
the shed a few minutes, when it was blown down. The 
Kendal coach on its route out of Leeds, was blowing 
over near Wellington bridge. At Hunslet, a young- 
man of the name of Hay, had his thigh broken by 
a gate blowing violently against him. The storm was^ 
m»t exclusively confined to Leeds. It was felt far andi 
wide, and produced both on sea and land a melancholy: 
loss of life, and destruction of property. ■{ 

Mjifcli Srii. On Sunday, the 8th of March, as the curate, 
of Keig!iicy church Avas publishing the banns of marriage 
of a couple resident in the ))arisli, the mother of one of 
the parties rose and said, '' T forbid that,'' which very- 
much excited the risible faculties of the congregation. 

April. The well-known donkey, named Old Adam, the' 
property of Mr. Carr, of Keighley, died this month. It 
was in the Carr's family above eighty years, and .v/as 
fourteen years old when they bought it • 

24th. About half-past five o'clock, this morning, aJ 
young woman of the name of Jane Shepherd, aged 17^ 
in the service of Mr. Lssott, grocer, Briggate, Leeds, got 
up in her sleep, dressed herself, opened her bcd-roonl 
window, which was upon the fourth story, and fell out 
into the yard. Her clothes caught the spikes of some 
iron railings, which broke the violence of the fall-^ 
fortunately she had no bones broken. The girl was one 
of three children born at a birth, and all out in serviced 

May 1st. The election of Leeds churchwardens closed 
this day, after a seven days' poll, \vith a majority of 
3,000 in favour of the old churchwardens, who were' 
dissenters. The following is the declaration of the num- 
bers polled for each candidate — those in the first columd 
being elected : — -{ 

EastDivisiok— J. A. Buttery.. 4,551 i W. M. Maude__ __ 1,625 
LowerNoTiTH-K AST- -R.Reynolds 4,539 .John Simpson __ __ 1,624 
Upper XoRTH-EAST-W.Bracewell 4,543 j Thomas Morgan __ 1,616 
North-East — Peter Fairbairn__ 4,539 j George Young __ __ 1,616, 
HiOHTOWN — Luke Marsh __ __ 4,546 j Jonathan Singleton. _ 1,615. 
South — John Wilkinson __ __ 4,534 ^ Jo.seph Chadwick __ l,621j 
Bramley — William Musgrave 4,537 | John Lister -- -- l,60.6j 
Headingley — Thos. Backhouse 4,541 ' Henry Stooks Smith 1,606, 

The friends of the Dissenting party after the election,- 
paraded the town with banners, and a band of music, in 
celebration of their victory. 2nd. Mr. William Atkin- 



426 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

IH35.— May. 

eon of the AYest-Riding Registry office, Wakefield, was 

struck blind by the lightning during a thunderstorm. 

16th. A Vrcst-Riding election took place vice lord Mor- 
peth, who was appointed a member of the "Whig ministry. 
The hon. John Stuart Worlley, the eldest son of lord 
Wharncliffe, was brought out by the tories, in opposition 
to lord Morpefh. The rosuit of the poll was as follows: — 
Lord Morperh, 9,()6i). Hon. J. S, WorJley, 6,2.59. Lord 
Mexborough, 1. Lord Milton, 1. John Hamilton, 1. John 
Firth, (of Cuinberv/orth) 1. Joseph Miirsden, (of Foul- 
eton.) 1. The two last voted for themselves. 

July 23rd. The Woodhouse Cemetery M^as opened this 
day, for the use of all denominations, and is situated in 
an elevated and pleasant locality, near to Woodhousemoor, 
n mile N.W. from Leeds, and is the property of a company. 
It occupies ten acres of ground, purchased at a cost of 
.£4,000. .About £'700 has been expended in laying it out 
with trees, shrubs, flowers, &c , the whole being enclosed 
by a high wall. The ground is a gentle acclivity, over- 
looking the town and the valley of the Aire. There are 
many beautiful and costly monuments; particularly those 
erected to the memory of the late Edward Baines, Esq., 
M.P., the Rev. Dr. R. W. Hamilton, the Rev. John Ely, Ike. 
In the centre stands a neat chapel in the Grecian style of 
architecture, under which vaults are constructed ; the en- 
trance is a beautiful structure in the same style It is 
approached from Woodhouse-lane. It was erected from the 
designs of John Clark, Esq., of Leeds, who obtained the 
first premium of twenty guineas in 18^3. Messrs. Major 
and Perkin obtained the second premium of ten guineas. 
The Rev. Edward Brown is registrar and chaplain. 

29th, died aged 5.j years, Michael Thomas Sadler, 
Esq, who, thou'^h born in Derbyshire, spent the greater 
part of his life in Leeds. A s'atue of the deceased, ex- 
ecuted by Park of London, is placed in the Leeds pari.sh 
church, and bears the following inscription : — 

" Michael Thomas Sadler, F.R.S , bora at Doveridge, in the 
county of Derby, from early youth an inhabitant of this town. En- 
dowed with great natural talents, a fervid imagination, a feeling 
heart, and an eiifjuiring mind; he cultivated with .succes.s, amidst 
the distractions of trade the elegancie.s of polite literature, and the 
severer .study of political and .social economy, a.s exhibitfd in his 
works on Ireland and the law of population. The display on various 
occasions of a copious eloquence peculiarly his ovvu, in defence of 
the protestant faith, of the rights of humanity, aud of the British 
constitution, secured him, unsought for, a seat in the House of Com- 



THE SURRODNDINQ DISTRICT. 427 

1835 — AU'>. 

mons, aud he represv"nte<l the borouarli.s of Newark and Aldborough 
in three succt-ssive pirliaments. He (li.stinguished himself in the 
senite, as the bold defender of the institutions of his country, and 
by stienuously advocating measures to secure a lej^al provision for 
the poor of Ireland, and for ameliorating the condition of the Jac- 
tory children. 

He died at Belfast, July 29th, 1835, aged 55 years. His remains 
rest in Bullylesson cliurch yard. 

By his numerous jjrivat^ and political friends, this monument has 
been erected, to hand dovn to posterity the name of a scholar, a 
patriot, and a practical philanthrophist." 

August ■20th. Bet wt'cn three and four o'clock thi.s morning 
a very alarming yhock of an earthquake was felt ar Lan- 
caster. At firiit a rumble like disfaut thunder was heard, 
which wa:^ instantly fcdiowed by a violent slialdng of the 
doors, windows, and furniture, of all the houses in the 
district. Considerable alarm was felt by many people, who 
rose from their beds aud ran into the streets in .arrear terror. 

24fh. During a tremendous thunderstorm, Mr. Thomas 
Dalby, of the Xe v Inn, Bramley, near Leeds. ^' hilsfc stand- 
ing in front of his kitclien tire, with a lighted candle in 
his hand, surrounded by his family, was struck by the light- 
ning, and died in a few hours after the shock. On the 
same day an explosion of fire damp occurei at the Osmu d- 
thorpe colliery, one man was severely scorched, and two 
others slightly burnt, 

September 9rh. There wa-^ a heavy fall of snow at Leeds, 
and in the neighbourhood, v.'liicli retarded the progress of the 
coaches, and delayed the Leeds mail on its way to London 
several hours. 

9th. As the Municipal Corporatioii Act which became la w 
from this da}', abolished tlie old corporations, it will be 
intere.'<ting to many readers of the " Annals," to have a list 
of the last corporate body at Leeds, as ^vell as a list of the 
mayors, from the first charter of Charles I. 

LEEDS CORPORATE BODY, 1S34-5. 

Mayor: Griffith Wright. Recoudkr: Ch irles Mil.uer. 

Deputy RECOROiin: John Leycester Adolphus. 

Aldermen : —Henry Hall, George Ban-s, Christopher Heckett, 
Willi ini Hev, Benjamin Sadler, Thomas Beckett, Thomas Bl tyds, 
Ralph IMarkland, Rt. Williim Dinsey Thorp, Richard Braraley, 
Javeph Robert Atkinson, William Perfect. 

AssiS lAN'TS : — Jonithan Wilks, Joseph Ingham, John G Up; Ir-hy, 
Fountain Bro vn, Michaf'l Tlioma.s Sadler, Jos -ph Henry Ridsdale, 
William Wilks, Joseph Mason Tennmt, William Hey, ju:ir. John 
Wilkinson, Charle.s Bro.vn, William Waite, Benjamin Holroyd, 



428 ANNALS OF LEED8, YOHK, AND 

1835. 

William Osburn, junr., John Upton, William Gott, Thomas Motley,, 
Francis Chorle}^, Robert Harrison, John Cawood, William Milnes,. 
Thomas Charlesworth, George Hirst. 

Town Clerk: James Nicholson. Coroner: Robert Barr. 
Chief Constable: Edward Read. Deputy Constable: James 
Ingham. Serjeant at Mace: George Hanson. Clerk of 
THE Markets, AND Bellet Master : James Fairclough. Beadle: 
J. Handley. Captain of the Watch ; Benjamin Wood. Gaoler: 
James Lancaster Town's Crier: Benjamin Spencer. 

The Mayor's under the first charter of Charles I., were : — 



1626 
1627 
1628 
1629 
1630 
1631 
1632 
1633 
634 
1635 
1636 



i/.1634 



Sir John Savile 
Samuel Casson 
Robert Benson 
Richard Sykes 
Thos. Metcalf 
Joseph Hillary 
Benj. Wade 
Frcs. Jackson 
John Harrison 
Samuel Casson 
Richard Sykes 



1637 Thos. Metcalf 
163S John Hodgson 

1639 Joseph Hillary 

1640 Frcs, Jackson 

1641 John Hodgson 

1642 Ralph Croft 

1643 John Dawson 

1644 Frcs. Allanson 

1645 John Thoresby 

1649 Robert Brooke 

1650 James Moxon 



1651 
1652 
1653 
1654 
1655 
1656 
1657 
165S 
1659 
1660 
1661 



Wm. Marshall 
Richard Milner 
John Thwaits 
Martin isles 
H. Roundhill 
Mardke Hicke 
Frcs. Allanson 
Wm. Fenton 
Wm. Fenton 
Paul Thoresby 
Thomas Danby 



SECOND CHARTER, 13 CHARLES IL, 1661. 



1662 John Dawson 

1663 Benj. Wade 

1664 Henry Skelton 

1665 Danl. Foxcroft 
3666 Mardke. Hicke 

1667 Ed. Atkinson 

1668 Chr.Watkiuson 

1669 GodfreyLawson 



1670 Rd. Armytage 

1671 Thomas Dixon 

1672 W. Hutchinson 

1673 Wm. Busfield 

1674 Samuel Sykes 

1675 Mrtn Head ley 

1676 Anthony Wade 

1677 J- Killingbeck 



1678 Wm. Pickering 

1679 Jph. Bavvmer 

1680 Henry Skelton 

1681 Mardke. Hicke 

1682 Thos. Potter ■ 

1683 Wm. Rooke 

1684 Jos. Ibbetson 



THIRD CHARTER CHARLES IL, 1684. 

1684 Gervase Nevile I 1686 Wm. Sawer I 3688 T.Kitchingman 

1685 Jos. Ibbetson | I687 H. Stanhope | 

CHARTER RESTORED, 1 WILLIAM AND MARY, 1689. 

1705 T.Kitchingman 

1706 Jer. Barstow 

1707 Rold. Mitchell 

1708 Rold. Mitchell 

1709 Henry Iveson 

1710 John Dodgshon 

1711 John Atkinson 

1712 Wm. Cookson 



1689 Wm. Mas-^ey 

1690 Michael Idle 

1691 John Preston 

1692 Wm. Calverley 

1693 Thos. Dixon 

1694 Mardke. Hicke 

1695 Henry Iveson 

1696 JohnDodgson 



1697 Wm. Milner 

1698 Caleb Askwith 

1699 John Rontree 

1700 Thos. Lasonby 

1701 John Gibson 

1702 J.Kitchingraan 

1703 Samuel Hey 

1704 Edmnd. Barker 



Tllli: SUHKOUNDING DISTKICT. 



429 



1835 
1713 
1714 

1715 
3716 
1717 

171s 
1719 
1720 

1721 
172,' 
1723 

Q724 
1725 
1726 
1727 

1728 
1729 
1730 
1731 
-17-2 
1733 
1734 
1735 
1736 
1737 
1738 
1739 
1740 
1741 
1742 
1743 
1744 
1745 
1746 
1747 
1748 
1749 
1750 
1751 
1752 
1753 
3754 



Wm. Rooke 
Solmn. PcUanl 
Croit Preson 
Edsvar I Iveson 
Thomas Pease 
B nj. Wa e 
Scud. Lazenbr 
Thos. Brearey 
Robt. Denison 
J.Kitchinginan 
EJmd Bilker 
Jer. B,ir<tuu' 
W.n. Cook son 
Thos. Sav.-er 
Simeon Pollird 
Ivlwd. Ive.son 
John Blayds 
t-ieorge Dover 
Edwd. Kenion 
John Douglas 
Win. Fenlon 
Hsnry Scott 
T.Mickiethwait 
John Brook 
Robr. Deni.son 
Win. Cookson 
H. Atkinson 
1 hos. Sdwer 
John Sno'.vd-!n 
John Wattii 
Ptobt. Smithson 
Rd. Horncastle 
Timothy Smith 
Edivd Kenion 
W'm. Fenton 
Henry Scott 
Etiward Gray 
John Firth 
Henry Hall 
T.Micklpthwait 
Sir H. Ibbor.sun 
John Brook 



17.')6 
IJoJ 
J 758 
1759 
1760 

1761 

176 i 

1763 
1754 
1 765 
1766 
176/ 
1/68 
1769 
1 770 

J7/1 

1772 

i77:i 

2774 
17/5 
1776 
1777 
177s 
1779 
1780 
1781 
1782 
1783 
1784 
1785 
]786 
[aiV 
1787 
1788 
1789 
l/SO 
1791 
1792 
1793 
1794 



Robt. Denison 
Tho-!. Dcnison 
Wnlter W^ide 
Will, Henison 
Edmund Lodge 
T Me(lhur>'t 
John Bl..yd.s 
Wm. Wilson 
Sml. Harper 
S. Davenport 
Joshua Dixon 
James Kenion 
Luke S< chvvell 
Edward Gray 
W. Hutchinson 
Win. Da.v.son 
Edmund Lodge 
J. Culver ley 
T. raedhur.^t 
John Blayds 
John Beckett 
Jolin Wormald 
J. Fountaine 
Gamaliel Lloyd 
J.Micklethwait 
T. iiea Cole 
Wm. Smith.son 
Arthur Ikin 
Wra. Cook-son 
Jer. Dixon 
J. Calveriey 
Jao. Markland, 
'wards Ivctu'istle 
William Hey 
E. Sanderson 
E. Markland 
John PJoA't-s 
Wade Brown 
R. R. Braml-y 
Alex. Turner 
John Blavds 



1795 W Sheepshank^) 
[afterwards York. 

1796 Henry Hall 

1797 John Beckett 

1798 J. Calveriey 

1799 Benj. Gott. 

1800 John B ooke 

1801 Wm. Cooksoa 

1802 William Hey 
I503 Thoma.s Ikiu 
1804 Wade Brown 
18 5 John Wilson 
1S06 R. R Bramley- 

1807 E. Markland " 

1808 Thos. Tennant 

1809 Rd Pullan 

1810 Alex. Turner 
18! I Chas Brown 

1812 Henry Hall 

1813 W. Greenwood 

1814 John Brooke 

1815 Whittel York 

1816 William Prest 

1817 John Hill 

1818 George Bmks 

1819 Ciir. Beck-tt 

1820 William Hey 

1821 Lepton Dob.^on 

1822 Benj. S idler 

1823 Thos. Tennant 

1824 Chas. Brown 

1825 Henry Hall 
.826 Thos. Beckett 

1827 I'hos Blayds 

1828 R. Markland 
iS29 Chr Beckett 

1830 R. W D. Thorp 

1831 William Hey 

1832 Thos. Tennant 

1833 Benj. Sadler 

1834 Griiiith Wright 



RECORDERS. 



1626 John Chiyton 
1661 Fr.incis White 
1692 Jvpr Blythman 
1707 Rd. Thornton 



1711 John Walker 
1729 Rd Wilson 
1782 Rd Wilson 
1776 Samuel Buck 



1803 John Hardy 
1833 Charles Milner 



430 ANx^iALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1835.— Sept. 



1626 Frcs. Bellhouse 

1661 Geo Banister 

1662 Saml. Brogden 
1684 Castilion Morris 



1676 Saml. Sj-kes 

1684 Wm. Sawer 

1685 H. Stanhope 
„ Chr. Pa-.vson 

1687 H. Stanhope 
,, Jos. Ibbotson 

1688 T. Hardvvicke 

1689 John Dodgsoa 



TOWN CLERKS. 

1702 Henry Adarn 
1725 John Lazenby 
1753 Thos. Atkinson 
1765 T. Barstow, jnr 

TREASURERS. 

1698 Wm. Cottam 
1701 Jos. Pickersgill 

1705 Wm. Cookson, 

[the younger. 

1706 Jer. Dixon 
1709 John Douglas 
17 18 George Dover 
1730 J. WHlkiason 

CORONERS. 

1736 Morgan Lowry 
1755 J. Newport 
1790 J. Atkinson 



1792 Lucs.Nicliolsoa 
1812 J. Nicholson 



1736 Henry Hall 
1751 i^aml. Hoivgate 
1761 J.Micklethvvait 
1785 E. Sanderson 
1795 E. Markland 
1811 Chr. Beckett 



1824 Robert Barr 
1835 J. Lofthouse 



1680 Saml. Brogden 
17 18 Ihos. Simpson 
1727 Ed. Brogden 

12th. York daring this week was more than usually gay 
and attractive, owing to the long expected three days ma- 
sical festival. The festival was honoured by the presence 
of tlio duchess of Kent, the princess Victoria, and all the 
elite of Yorkshire. 

14rh. The princess Victoria and her mother the duchess 
of Kent, arrived at Harewood house, Harewood, on Sat- 
urday, Sept. 12th, and remained till the following Monday. 
On Sunday morning the illustrious guests, accompanied 
by a number of distinguished visitors, attended divine ser- 
vice at the church, wlieu the late archbishop of York 
ju'eached ihe sermon. A vast concourse of persons from 
Leeds, and the surrounding districts, lined the gravel walk 
from the house to the church, and the day being beautifully 
fine, the scene j)resented was, in truth, one of a very at- 
tractive kind. The duchess of Kent walked with the earl 
of Harewood, and immediately beliind were the princess 
and lady Georgiana Harcourt, daughter of the archbishop 
of York. They were followed by the duke of Northum- 
berland, the members of the Harewood family, and other 
personages of distinction. Much curiosity was evinced to- 
catch a glimpse of the future sovereign, who Avas then a 
timid, retiring girl, unaccustomed to the presence of such; 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 431 

1835.— Oct. 

vast multitudes as she has since encountered in her more 
exalted sphere. At ten o'clock on the toUowing morning-, 
(the 14rh,) the royal party left Harewood, and passed 
throuirh Leeds, on their way to Went worth house, the seat 
of earl FitzM'illiam. The streets throughout were so 
densely thronged, (it was computed that more than S0,000 
persons lined the streets) so that the royal carriage could 
only proceed at a very limited p^ce, and at somo points of 
the route, the vehicle M-as so completely hemmed in by the 
crowd as to render it impossible lor the postilions to pro- 
ceed. The carriage being closed, the roval occupants v/ere 
in a great measure secured from the ])ublic gaze, and the 
result was, that numbers of persons attempted to get upon 
the wheels for the purpose of having what they called a 
*' right look," and an attempt Avas made to take the horses 
from the carriage, and draw it into the town. These pro- 
ceedings are said to have given great offence to the duchess 
and, in the mind of her illustrious daughter, to have ex- 
cited no small alarm. The cavalcade, however, passed 
through the town without the slightest accident, and 
amidst every manifestation of loyalty. 

19th. Messrs. Brown and Andrew's mill, situate in Mill- 
garth street, Leeds, took fire and was burnt down. The 
damage was estimated at from £12,000 to £15,000. 

October 10th. Huuslet Avas lirst lighted with gas. 

lOih Haliey's comet whose periodic return is 75 years, 
made its appearance at this time. It was visible to the 
naked eye ou the 10th Oct., situated near the upper pointer 
of tiie Great Bear. The comet appeared not much larger 
than a star of the first magnitude and much more dim. 

28th. One of the most dreadful accidents that ever hap- 
pened in the borough of Leeds, occurred at the house of 
Mr. Wood, fire-work manufacturer, situate in Blackburne's 
yard, Holbeck-lane, by an explosion of a large quantity of 
gunpowder. Three houses a\ ere blown up, and five persons 
buried in the ruins. The explosion shook the doors and 
windows of houses in all parts of the toAvn. The shock 
was distinctly heard and felt at a distance of tv/o miles, 
and produced the effects of an earthquake. The gaslights 
in the mills of Messrs. Nussey, and Messrs. Marshall Avere 
instantly extinguished, and the large chimney at the latter 
place vibrated very perceptably. Several hundred squares 
were broken in Messrs. Nussey's mill, and some even in 
the m.ill of Messrs. Gott's, at NeAv-road end. The explo- 
sion Avas heard at Headingley, and little-London, and the 
congregation in St. Paul's church Avere alarmed lest the 



432 AKNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 
183").— Oct. 

church itself was giving way. A girl, named Susannahu 
Dockray, Imd been engaged in the room in which were a 
vast quantify of gunpowder and crackers, and it is sup- 
posed she had snuffed the candle on to the crackers, and 
thus caused the explosion. At first a hissing noise accom- 
panied by repeated cracking, occurred, and Dockray came 
running down stairs with her clothes on fire, screaming 
out " Oh Hannah," and rushed out of the house. Mary 
Wilkinson, Mary Wildman, and a little girl of Wood's, 
apprehending daijger, followed her example. Not so Mrs. 
Wood, who notwithstanding the entreaties of Wilkinson 
to the contrary, ran up stairs with the intention of throw- 
ing the S(piibs and crackers out of the window. She just 
attained the threshold of the room, and the parties below 
had only got a few yards from the door, when a barrel and 
half of gunpowder exploded with a noise as of tlie discharge 
of a park of artillery ; the house rose into the air, and the 
next instant, together with the houses adjoining, sunk to the 
earth a mass of blazing ruins. The death of Mrs. Wood^ 
Mrs. Stephenson and her child was instantaneous, they 
being in the very centre of the explosion. On the opposite 
side of the lane was the house of James Walker, at a dis- 
tance of about 12 yards, Walker and another man named 
Windsor were weaving in an upper room. The slates of 
the roof were completely blown off, the wall burst in, and 
the ruins descended into the room in which they were 
working. Walker was buried in the rubbish which fell 
about him ; but being partly shielded by the rafters, was 
extricated Avithout having sustained any material injury. 
Windsor had placed himself under the loom, and by that 
means was protected from injury. The wife of Walker 
was buried in the ruins. A child of hers about 3 years of 
age had a miraculous escape. He was found near the body 
of his mother in a state of insensibility, but afterwards 
recovered. An old man named Stead, upwards of 70 years 
of age, who had been confined to his bed for twelve months 
was dreadfully scorched, and subsequently died. His wife 
M^as very much scorched but afterwards recovered. The 
event caused the deepest sensation in the town, and a fund 
was soon raised for the benefit of the survivors. Four 
alms houses were erected on Holbeck moor in 1838, with 
the surplus money raised by subscription for the relief of 
the sufferers. 

Nov. 8th. Lord viscount Milton, M.P., died. 

18th. A splendid appearance of the Aurora Borealis was 
witnessed in Leeds with admiration by many of the in- 



THK SDKROUNDJNG DISTRICT. 433 

1835— Nov. 

habitants. The rays shot uj) from the north, and uorih- 
west, in great beauty ; here and there a ])afch ot parallel. 
rays suddenly appeared, like the j)ipcs of an orfi^an, and 
glowed into intense radiani^e, then gradually vanished. 
Shortly tlie whole was in rajiid motion. The rusltiig o! the 
fiery waves over the sky, in directions meeting in the merid- 
ian, had a most sublime effect. At limes it was even 
awful, 80 brigh^ and swift were the flamirig pennoii.». 

December 2r)th. This day took place at Leeds, the first 
election under the Muuici{)al Corporation Act. This act was 
introducf^d into fhe house of commons by Lord John Rus- 
sell, on iheothof June, and after considerable delay and 
opposition in the upper house, it passed, and received the 
royal assent, on the 9th of September. 'Ihe nieasure 
abolished all the old corporations, and replaced them by 
town-councils, of whom one third of the members weie 
to be elected annuaHy by all householders within (he bor- 
ough, of thr< e years occupation, and who sh.all have 
actually paid the rates In pursuance of the 39th section 
of the act, barristers were ai)poinied to revise the lists of 
burgesses, divide the borough info wards, and assign the 
number of councillors to be elected therein resprc'ix ely. 
The document by which the borough was so divided info 
wards, is dated Nov. 6th, and ihe wards are in the iollow- 
ing order of priority : — 

Leeds ToivnsUp 1 Mil! -hill, 2 ^YesN 3 >7oith-West, 
4 North, .5 N(^rfh-East, H East (Hamlets o* Osmund !lior])e, 
Skelton, and Thornes.) 7 Kiikgate, S SouMi. 

Out-Townsliips. 9 Hunslet (lounsliii) of Huns'et.) 10 IIol- 
beck (townships of Holbeek and Wortky.) 11 Eraii.lcy 
(townsliips of Br;!mley, Armley, Farnley, and Bfeston.) 
12 Headingley, (townships of Headingky-tum-Dur'ey, 
Chapel-Al erton, and Pdttemew'on ) In thus divid)ng the 
borough, the hamlet ofColdcoates was not app'>' fiotu d by 
the revising barristers to ^v-y ward. Tl;e burgess lis? is now 
revised annually by fhe mayor for the finv^ being, aiid two 
assessors, commencing on the 1st cf October in each year. 

The corporafion, as af pnsent cor.st tuted, cor.sisis of a 
mayor, IBfillermen, and 48 councillors. The m^yor is a 
justice of the ]ieace for the time beiiig, and for one year 
after his mayorali y. Each ward returns three coni cillors, 
except Miil-hill, West, Ilolhrck, and Bramlry, which have 
each six Thenumberofmunicipa''yoie/-i^( ISo^) is abou? 20,000. 
The council meet at the new Town Hall, a;'* follows : — 
On Ixt Jan., special: 10th Feb, (jnarterly; 3lst March, 
special; 12'h May, (juarlerly; 31st May, adjourned 
quarferly ; llth Aug , (piarterly : 30th Sept, special; and 
9th Nov., quarterly : — eight times during the year. 

37 



434 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1835.— Dec. 26th. 

The lollovviiig is an account of the first Municipal 
Election ; — 



Ward. 



ELECTED. 



Mill-hill. William Hey, jun- 
C. 276, John Heaton, C. 272, 
Thomas Shann, C. 266, James 
Mus2rave,L. 262, James William- 
son, L. 260, J. Hubbard, L. 259. 

West. William Smith, L. 235, 
John Clapham, L. 232, R. Dor- 
rington, L. 222, O, Willans, L 
215, Thos. George, L. 214, Peter 
Fairbairn, L. 209. 

]\orth-West. Thos. W. Tot- 
tie, L. .126, M-.v. Gaunt, L. 115, 
James Ogle, E. 113. 

NouiH. Wm. Cadman, L. 151, 
Darn ton Lupton, L. 150, Wiliam 
Bro^vn, L. 149. 

North-East. R. Jackson, L. 
84, .losa. Barret, L. 81, R. Baker, 
L.77. 

East. J. A. Buttery, L. 94, 
Jas. Holdforth, L. 91, James 
Green, L. 90. 

KiRKOzNTi:. W. W. Brown, L. 
171, J. S. Barlow, L. 159, Thos. 
Hehden, L. 157- 

South. George Go,odman, L. 
118, Robt. Derhom, L. 1 17, Jonn. 
Dickinson, L, 115. 

Huns LET John Bower, L. 430, 
Joshua Bower, L. 416, John Wil- 
son, L. 411. 

HoLBECK. James Hargreave, 
L. 60S, James Whalley, L. 589, 
Thns. Benyon, L. 5S7, Jonathan 
Shackleton, L. 585, C. G. Maelea, 
L. 581, D. W. Nell, L. 571. 

Bramlf-cy. William Pawson, 
L. 746, Mat. Moss, junr., L 740, 
Richd. Wilson, L. 736, Benjamin 
Rogers, L. 731, William Mus- 
grave, L 733, William Clarke, 
L.713. 

Hi5ADiNGT,RY. Thos. Beckett, 
C. 119, Griffith Wright, C. II7, 
W, T.Watson, C. 112. 



DEFEATED. 

Hamer Stansfeld, L. 257, J- E-. 
By water, L. 257, Ed. Charlesworth, 
C. 255, Rubert Hall, C. 253, Rad- 
ford Potts, C. 246, Henry Raw- 
son, L. 235. 

Thos. Blayds, C. 186, Richard 
Bramley, C. 181, John Howard, 
C. 181, W. Osburn, Jun. C. 173, 
George Bischoff, C. 173, John H. 
Hill, C. 169. 

J. R. Atkin.'^on, C. 107, R. 
Markland, C. 102, Wm. Brigg, 
C. 98. 

Charles Wood, C. 88, Thomas 
Simpson, C. 84, Richard Ripley, 
C. 82. 

Robert Weare, C. 69, Benjamin 
Holroyd,C. 66, W. G. Scarth, C. 
66. 

John Cawood, C. 77? ^ Stocks,, 
jun. C. 71, W. M. Maude, C. 
67. 

Christopher Beckett, C. 133, 
James Maude, C. 120, John Gar- 
land, C. 112. 

George Banks, C. 102, William 
Sinjrleton, C. 96, Anthony Titley, 
C. 90. 

Jos. Beckett, C. 246- 

James Hargreave, C. 259^ 
James Bateson, C. 253, John 
Tempest, C. 231. 



John Rogerson, C. 466, John 
Wilson, C. 444, Joseph E.yres, C. 
4.38, John Burton, C. 42S, Jo.seph 
Wood, C. 427, Samuel Wiate, C 
426. 



THK SORROUNDING DISTllICT. 435 

1835. 

Zion School, at New "Worlley, uearLeed?!, is a lar^e and 
airy brick building with two spacious rooms, crecied by 
subscription in 1S35-6 at tlie cost ot'£l,040, of which £400 
was granted out of the sum voted by parliament tow^ards 
the erection of schools, for the use of the poor. The raising 
of subscriptioas, for the erection of the building, v/as 
in a great measure o\\ing to the unwearied and .self-det.ying 
labours of Mr. Jonathan Shackleton, and IMr. Jame-s Whal- 
ley, two of the first members of the town council for the 
Hulbeck -ward. At the west end of the building, is the 
following inscription : — 

"Zion School," "This school was hiiilt by .sub.scription, with the 
aid of Government, for the educntion of children oi' all dc/wminaiw7is. 
Anno Domini, 1835." 

There is a very useful religious and educafional ^^OYk 
being carried on in tlie school. The Sunday school numbers 
(in 1S59) 529 scholars and 6/ teachers, and has the 
rather unusual feature in a Sunday school of being unsedarian. 
Here may be found a band of earnest teachers of different 
religious opinions, working harmoniously together for the 
purpose of teaching the great princ-ples oi' Chris Hani ty. 
The day school is divided into a boys' school, and girl's 
and infant's school, both under government ii'.spcction. Mr. 
Joseph Bradbury, a certiticated master, with the as.^istance 
of four pupil teachers conducts the former, which has an 
average attendance of 160 scholars. Miss Harrison, a cer- 
tificated mJstress, with three pupil teachers conducts the 
latter, and the average attendance is MO. 'i'he yearly grant 
from government tothemaster, mistress, and pupil teaciiers, 
amounts to about £150. In the same building there is a 
Mechanics' Institution, possessing a good reading-room and 
library. The former is open every week-day evening, and 
the latter on Saturday evenings. 

On the 31st of December, the following gentlemen were 
elected aldermen for the borough of Leeds : — 

Jas. Musgrave, James Williimson, rl;;mer Stan.sfpld, J. R. By- 
water, Joha'clapham, T. W. Tottie, W. G. Scarfh, James Holdforth, 
"W. W. Brown, Thomas Heb len, Geors^e Goodman, Thos. B^-nyon, 
William Pawson, Thomas Beckett, Grit^ith Wright, and Henry Hall. 

1836. The last mayor elected by virtue of the charter of in- 
cor[)oration, was Griffith Wright, Esq., who continued ir. office 
in j)ursuance of tiie act of parliament recently passed, until 
the ist of January, 1836, on which day at a meeting of the 
" council," Tlujmas Benyon, Esq. Avas elected mayor, but 
declined to accept the office, prcferrit^g to pay the line of 



436 ANNALH OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1h:36.— Jan. 

£U)0 imposed in that behalf; V/i;liam Williams Brown, 
E^q. was uext chosen, but he followed Mr. Benyon's ex- 
ample ; and lasfl}', the choice of the council fell on George 
Goodman, Esq., who by making- and sub.scribing the declar- 
afions m that behalf reqnired, became the tirst mayor of 
the borough of L-reds under the municipal corporation act. 

Leeds Municipal Election^ Extrayr binary, Wth Jnnuanj, 1836. 
Tlie names in Brackets were elected. 

j\IiLL-HiLT-, vice MusDfra\e and William.son, aldermen, [John 
Ho^vlrd, C. 252, Ed. Charlcswonh, C. 246.] J. H Shaw, L. 235, J. 

H. Hebb ethuMte L. 215. West, v'cc Clapham, aid. [Jaseph 

Biteson, L 210,] Thomas Blayds, C. 194. NoaTH-WnST, 

fire 'I'ottie, aid. [Jame:s Robiason, L. 97,] William Briji^o^s, C. 77- John 

Wilki son, L. 1. East, vice Holdibrth, aid. [I.srael Burrows, 

L. 82,] Joseph Sug den. C.27. Kirkgate, vice Brown and Heb- 

den, aid. [Willi ira B >ckett, C. 161, T. B. Pease, L l-V,] Thomas 
Enj^I ind, C. 156. John Wdkinson, L. 151. Pea.se and Englind polled 
an e-iual nnmher ofvot^s, but the pr^^si lin.t; alderin m gave th? c isting 
vo-e to the foriTier. — • South, yze.'? Goodman, aid. [John Wilkin- 
son, L. 117,] William Singleton. C. 94. Hu.vSLEr, vice Wilson, 

aid [Willikm Beaton, L 312,] Joseph Beckett, C. 242. HoL- 

BKCK, vice Benyon, ;dd. [Richard JackHO!i,L.260.] - — — Bhamlky, 

vice P.iw,son,ald. [Samuel Pri"stman, L. 418.] H"eapin'»lky, vice 

Beckett and Wright, aid. [James Maude,''c. S3, and Robert Har- 
ri.son, C. 80.] 

During'' the year 1835, an act was passed for the genera^ 
regi.st ration of birth.-?, marria;>-es, and deaths, and another 
for alio win": Dissenters to m.-rry in their own j)lace.s of 
wors'iip, and by their own ministers ; which also allows 
marriages at the ol'dce of the superintendant, registrar. 
The stamp duty on news])apers was reduced from4d. (with 
a discoutjr of 20 per cent) to Id. net. The result of the 
measure was the reduction in the price of new^.spapers 
nearly one half, and a very great increase in ci^-ciilation 

Beigrave chapel, Belgrave street, is a plain brick edifice, 
opened this year. 'I'he late Dr. R. W. HatniUon ^va^^ for- 
merly minister of this chapel: he died July ISth, 1848. 
The interior is very neat. It. will accommodate 1, 8 JO hearers, 
and has a good organ. An excellent school is attached. 
The Rev G. W. ('onder is minister. 

O.xford Place chapej, Park-lan.e, one of the leading Wes- 
leyan chapels: is built of brick, and was opened this 
year. The interior is very plain, butneat, having a gallery 
continued round the chapel. It contains a very superior 
organ, built by Mr. Hill, of London. There are 2,600 sit- 



THE SURROUJS'DING DISTRICT. 437 

1836.— Jan. 

tings, a considerable nnniiiPr of which r.re free. The sta- 
tioned ministers are — the Revs. George Maunder, John V. 
B. Shrewsbury, Henry Hast ling, Pefer Mac Ouan. 

Jan 1st. A melancholy and fatal accident occurred on the 
Serpentine river in Hyde park, London. The ice being 
over- crowded by skaters gave way, and a large nnmber of 
persons were immersed in the water, eight of whom were 

drowned. J;ui. A carper Nveaver named Dean at Leeds, 

had £10,000 left him by a rich relative in London. 

IMany English merchants suffered great loss at this time, 
by a fire in New York, said to be more destructive than 
any tire known since that of Moscow, and by which 
property to the amount of at least t\vo millions sterling 
was consumed. The fire raged for a night and a day, and 
from 700 to 1,000 houses and warehouses, with the exchange 
and post office were reduced to a mass of ruins. 

The following gentlemen were appointed to public ofilces 
in Leeds, in the year 1836 : — 

15th January, Boroii^k Treasuro- : Jolm Smith. 15th June 
C erk of tlie peace: James RicliaTdson, the votes were Richard.xon 
25, James Nicholi«on, 21, John Arthur Ikin, 5. 2nd bullot. Kichard- 
son, 30, Nicholson, 21. 8th Jul}-, Tuivn Clerk: VAw'm Kildisoii, the 
votes were Eddison, 2^, Robert Barr, 21, John Black hurne, II 
2nd hallot, Eddison 38, Barr, 21. Dec. 3rd, Clerk to the Jus/ices': 
Robert Barr. Dec. 24th, Coruver, vice John Lofthou>e, rp.vicrned 
John Blackburce. The votes were Blackburne 21. J. A. IkiiT 2l' 
Chailes Naylor, 11. 2d'1 ballot, Blackburne 30, Ikin 23. ' ' ' 

The following gentlemen were appointed Justices of the 
Peace for the borough of Leeds — first commis^iM:, l\^M. 

Ja.s. Williamson, M.D., Edward Baine.s, M.P., Geo B.u.k.v, 'Ihos. 
Beckett, Thos. Benyon, Thos. Wm. To-tie, William Williams 
Brown, Jno. Marshall, junr , Jas. Hoi :forth, Gcorg- Goodman, Dd. 
Wm. Nell, Hamer Stansfeid, Jas. Muserave, Jno. Clapham, Thos. 
Hebdt-n, William Pawson, Wm. Cadman, Edward Grace, W^ni. Smith 
John Gott, Wm. Hey, Darnton Lupton. 

On the 12th of February, died of old age, Copenhagen. 
the horse which carried the duke of Wellington o'n the field 
of "Waterloo, By the orders of liis grace, a salute was fired 
over his grave, and thus he was buried ashehadlivrd with 

military honours. March 2nd. At the Leeds general 

cemetery, Mr. and Mrs Hawkshaw, husband ar.d wife 
were interred. They both died at the same time; both 
were victims of the same disorder, namely consuniplion 
and both were buried in the same grave. 7fh. Mr. Ed- 
ward Barr, a solicitor of Leeds, pleaded guilt v at York 



438 ANNAL8 OF Lli^KDS, YORK, AND 

1^<36— AprJiL. 

to a charge of a long- continued and exfensive series of 
forgeries, on rhe treasurer for the \Ve'?t- Riding-. He was 
transported for the term of his natural life. 

April 30lh. A valuable cliain of standard gold, weigh- 
ing- two pounds troy, and which cost £197 14.4. was pre- 
sented to George Goodman, Esq., the first mayor under the 
new corporation An heraldic j^iield pendant to the chain, 
has on it the following iuscriptioM : — 

" Pres'iitad by the Ir.Tges.ses and inhabit-ants of Leeds to their 
reform corporition, ;i.s the official insisinia oi the ma^'or, in token of 
their approbation ofrepresentxtive municipal government, and to remind 
the chief magistrate.s, that their powers aii-J hononr.s, conferred by the 
people, are to be heUd for thi^ public wel are. George Goodman, Esq., 
finst mayor, elected l.bt January, 1S;38." 

0:1 Sunday, the 13th of May, there was an annular eclipse 
of the sun. At Leed.^, it commenced about 42 minutes past 
one in the affernoon ; the greatest obscuration was at 10 
minutcK past three ; and the moon {)as?ed from the sun's 
surface at half-past four. Venus was visible to the naked 
eye. At the commencement, the thermometer in the sun 
was 95- ; at the middle it was 72° ; and at the end it was 
80^. During the eclipse the flowers clo:-!ed their petals, 
insect life was still and motionless ; the birds of the air 
tiexv near the ground, and there was a peculiar solemnity 
in the silence which reigned around. The places of worship 
in the town postponed the hour of divine service on account 
of t lie interesting phenomenon. IGth. The carpet man- 
ufactory of Mr. John Hov/ard, at rhe Bank, I.eeds, was 
consumed by fire, damage about £10,000. 

The following is a copy of an inscription on a tablet 
erected iu the ladependent chapel, Warley, near Halifax 
to the memory of the late Dr. Boothroyd : — 

" To the memory of the Rev. Benjamin Boothroyd, LL.D. and D.D. 
who was a native of, and once a poor boy, in this villige. He was a 
student at Heckmondwike academy, and at the age of ■22 became 
minister of the Indppendent chapel, Pontefract, and af'erwards of 
Highfield chapel, Huddersfield, vvJitMe he died on the 8th of September, 
1836, aged 68 years. His .simplicity and godly sincerity endt/ared him 
to all — lis biblical labours raised him to an eminence attained by fen' — 
and he died a good old age, crowned with labours and honours. He 
made a complt-t€ translation of the whole bible, and published it with 
a commentary. This tablet was erected by a i'ew friends and strangers, 
t-o remind t]\e youth of Warley that ' honour here and happiness here- 
after,' as the reward of diligent exertio:i, are in the power of every- 
one." 

The deceased was interred at Highfield chapel. 



THK SLTHilOUNDING DISTUICT. 439 

1836— Oct.. 

Oct. 3th, By an order in council of (his <.la(e, flic new 
diocese of Ripon was insfitu'ed with Ihe conscnr of fhe arch 
bishiu) of York, and (lie bishop of Chester Tlie diOcese is 
8ubjecl to 'he metropolitai; JMrisdii'ti')ii of York, and ciinsists 
of thafpartof the county of York previous]^- in 'he diocese of 
Chester, the deancr}'^ of Craven, and al! such parts oC the 
deaneries of Ainsty and Ponte'ract, in t lie diocese of York, 
as lie to the westward (»f the Ainsty, and the waj)r;ifakes 
of Barkstone Ash, Osgoldcross, nnd Sfaincross. 'f'lie two 
archdeaconries of Crave;; and Riciiniond have been institu- 
ted, the collegiate cluirch has been mnde a cathedral, and 
the town has hence become a city. The nverjige yearly 
income of the b shop has been fixed at £4,500 ; and a [)alHce 
for his habitation has been erected a I North Grange, about 
a mile nor'h- west of Ripon, at an estimated expense of 
nearly £10,000, The establishment attached to (he diocese 
consists of (he bishop, the dean, sixcanons, (wo minor canons, 
vicRrs'- choral, two archdeacons, and n commissary of (he 
archdeaconry of Richmond. 5fl!. The non-commission- 
ed officers and privates of the I.eeds s<|uadroii of Yorkshire 
hussars, presented a hnndsome silver cup to Cwptaiu Upton, 
of the K. troop in (hat squadron. The pre>enta(ion took 
place at the private parade of the stjnadrori at York, in 
the presence of Colonel the Earl de Grey, Captain Beckett, 
and several officers of tlie regiment. 

24ih. Sir John Beckett, one of the representatives of the 
borough of Leeds, ^vas entertained by his friends at a 
public dinnrr at the Mu^ichali, to wh"ch 3.10 gcndemejs sa(; 

down. 30th. Louis N.jjioleon mudean at(cmi)( at S(ras- 

burg to overthrow by a coup de main, the governmoit of 
Louis Phillipe, by represei;(itig that the king was dead, and 
by employing ths name of Napoleon as a spell. He was 
subsequently sent to (he United S(ates as a punishment, on 
giving his word of honour not to qnit that country for ten 

years. 31st. On (his day died John Marshall, junr., 

Esq., of FTeadingley, one of (he tirst represcnta(ives of (he 
borou'_»h of Leeds in parliameiit. lie was in his " Ot'i year. 
His death caused universal and profound regret in (he 
town. 

LEEDS MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS, Isr November, 1836. 
The names in Brackets v/ere elected. 

MlLL-HlLL, [Henrv Jennings, C. 277, Ed^vird Charlesworth, C. 

275,] jMines Hubbard, L. 273, S. J. Birchall, L. 954. Wrst, 

[Peter Fairbairn, L. 250, Thomas George, L. 246, Richard Bramley, 
C. 246,] Ad\m Hunter, C. 245. Nortu-Wesf, [Matthew Gaunt 



440 ANxNALS OF LEEDS, YOttK, AND 

l.s36_Nov. 

L. 104 ) North, (William Brown, L. 77i)' afterwarfls bankrupt 

Not;th-East, (Robert Biker, L. 89.) East, (F.li Whiteley, L, 

102) KiRivGATh'., (Thomas Benson Pease, L. 67.) South 

<Jon.;than Dickinson, L. 114.) Hunslet, (William Heaton. L. 

312,) Jose|.h Beckett, C.242. Holbeck, (C.G. Maclea. L. 159, 

Edvvird Tatliam, L. 159.) Br amley, (Willi im Clarke, L. 187, 

William Musgrave, L. 184) Headinuley, (George Hayward 

C. 84.) Nov. 9th. Jame^ Wiliiam.son, M.D., was elected mayor, 

The votin.af was as follows :— J. Williamson, 26, T. W. Tottie, 21, 
Thus. Beckett, 10. 2nd vote, Dr. Williamson, 3/, T; W. Tottie, 18. 

Nov. 3id. The very elcganfc spire of Christ church, Don- 
caster, was struck by lighting, in one of the most awful 
storms of thunder and Jightuing, ever known at that place : 
one third of the spire was entirely destroyed, and the body 

of the churcli seriously injured. A lire occurred at 

Mr. PuUan's iron foundry, Hunslet, doing damage to the 
amount of £1,000. 

12!li. Dr. Williamson, mayor, having stated (hat he had 
a conscientious objection to attend the Leeds parish church, 
as his predecessors liad done, no procession of the mayor 
and cor})oration took jjlace, as was the invariable custom 
on the Sunday succeeding the election of mayor in former 

times. 23rd Died, aged 56, James Nicholson, Ei-q., 

cleik to Ihe m;^gistrates of the borough of Leeds, and for 
many years also cierk of the ])eace, and town clerk at the 

time. 15,000 cotton spinners at Preston and the neiifh- 

bourhood were on the strike. 30th. A tremendous 

hurricane swept over London, Birmingham, and other 
places, accompanied by heavy falls of rain, said to have 
been more severe than any gale during 50 years. More 
than 200 boats wove sunk and broken in the Thames. There 
was scarcely a street in the metropolis in which the houses 
were not more or less injured. At Birmingham, the canal 
overflowed atid swept down ten houses. The loss of life 
and destruction of property throughout the country was 
immense. The storm jjassed over Yorkshire very harmlessly 

Dec. I3tli. A coal pit explosion took place in the Bog j)it, 
near Wakefield, belonging to Mr. Fcnton. There were 
thirteen men and six boys in the pit at the time, all of 
wliom were dreadfully burnt, and some were killed. 

16th. The foundation stone of St. George's church, Leeds, 
was laid by the lord bishop of Ripon. It was finished in 1838, 
and occujjies an elevated position, being approached from 
the west by a lofty flight of stone steps, and is surrounded 
by a flagged terrace, under which vaults are constructed. 
£11,000 -was raised by subscription for the building and en- 



THE ^iallllOUNDING DlHTlllCT. 441 

1836.— Dkc. 

do\vmGn^, towards which ^nm "Wil'iam Be^cketf, Iv^fj., a;id 
family, niunificenflycotirrihufed jtTOO. Thesryh- is (^.;!iic ; 
the tower, which is at fho west end, has a si)i-e ra'-iui,'- it 
to a height of IG') ieet. The interior is uear and i-'kkIo in 
the decoration ; over theal'-ar is a iirig-niiicenr. painfns.i,^ — 
subjedy All nations looking unto Christ, " Up ev^'r liver!) fa 
make intercession for us," painted by C. W. Co;)e, II A. » 
whom we liave the honour of associating with our to^A'i). 
Three handsome tablets have been erected to the !'i'Mn >ry 
of the late Mrs. Sinclair, John Atkinson, Esq , and .Mr. 
Robinson. 

The original organ in this cimrcli was built bv Samuel 
Greene, (one of the most eminent builders of (he last eiui- 
tury,)and was broughr. from some clinrch orabb^y in W.;1ps. 
In JSaJ Greene's organ was taken down, and m my of the 
stops were embodied in the large organ, with three manuals, 
which was then built by Mr. Holt, of Leeds. The insrru- 
ment has been recently entirely re-modelled by the org mi-it, 
Mr. Spark, who, through the libfralify of tlie churcii- 
wardensand the congregarion, secured the valuable service!* 
of Messrs. Gray and Davidson, in the execution of tUi) work. 
The organ now contains 33 sounding stOj)s, S couplers, and 
3 manuals. The Rev. John Blometield, MA , is (he present 
incuaibenr, having succeeded the much respected Rev. 
"William Sinclair, M.A., who held ihe ii;cumbvM)cy tor 
upwards of twenty years. It is worthy of notice, that on 
the resigiiation of his cl)arge, th;^ numibers of the congre- 
gation a!fec^ionate!y presented the Rev. Gentleman with a 
purse of oOO guineas, and a silver tea an 1 coffee service. 

31st. The Leeds mails and others on tiie London road, 
"sv'ere delayed, owing to the snow, wiiicii ciioaked the 
roads. The mail which left the metropolis on Safurd ly 
night, did not arrive til', ien minutes j);tst nine on Sunday 

night — it was live hours behind its time Vbout noon 

this day an immense avalanche, glided from the cliff 
hills at Lewes, and falling over the precipice, dashed 
in (he roofs, and entirely destroyed five houses, burying 
fourteen unfortunate inmates under a mountain of snow. 

In December the sta'e of (he money market was very 
critical. One of the largest joint stock banks i'l the king- 
dom, namely the " Northern aiid Central Bank of P'r.gland,'* 
was compelled to seek as-rstance from the bank of F^ngland. 

1837- tieadingley church, dedicated to St. M c!ia( 1, is a 
neat cruciform structure, in the latter Englisli style, ssi'h 
an embattled tover, surmounted by a gracetul spire, and 
has a peal of six bells, which were brought from (he old 



442 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1837— J A K. 

parish clmrch of Leeds. It was erected in 1S37-S, on the 
site of the ancient chapel, and cost £2,5S2. The Rev, 
William Williamson is the incumbent. The old chapel was 
very ancient, the eastern end was supposed to have been 
"built in the reign of Henry II., or Henry III. It w^as held 
along with the chapel of Allerton, by the same minister, 
■who did duty at both places once on each Sunday, at 
Headingley in the morning, and Allerton in the afternoon. 
The iahab;tan!s of Headingley having much increased, the 
chapel was enlarged in the year 1G20, from the proj-^ction on 
the north and southsides. Theinterior of the chapel was open 
to the roof from end to end, till the 3'^car 1S9D, when it was 
underdrawn; Mr. AVilson, of Moor Grange, being at that 

time chapid warden. In this year Richard Baker, and 

Son, of Osset Street-side, near Dewsbury, found out an 
improvement in the manufacture of glass, by which they 
made it so pliable that they could make a cloth or fabric of 
the finest texture. They made pieces of this glass 2 l{ yards 
long, and from 9 to 36 inches broad ; they also made some 
very fine ladies' head-dresses and ornaments from this 
material, which were considered both very curious and 
useful. In January, 1S33, they presented to her Majesty 
an elegant glass apron, having the appearance of silk, and 

feeling to the touch quite as soft. The folio wing 

ofienees ceased to be capitally piunishcd, viz. : — ra})e, bur- 
glaries, arson, and Ibrgeries. 

Jan. 12lh. The Poor Law Commissioners issued a warrant 
dechiring that the laws for the relief of the poor of the 
township o.^' Leeds, sliould be administered by a Board of 
Guardians of twenty members elected yearly. 

18! li. A public dinner (at which 1,0{)D individuals 
sat down) was given by {\\q reformers of Leeds to the 
West-Riding members, and the liberal members for the 
boroughs of the riding. The dinner was held in the Brit- 
annia mill, Whitehall road, In the early part of this 

year, the Tufiutnza was so prevalent in Leeds, that 
scarcely a family escaped it. The disease in many cases 
M'-as attended with considerable fever, and an entire })ros- 
tration of strength. The medical profession could scarcely 
answer the demands upon them. The obituary of the 
Leeds papers was never before so fearfully long. The town 
of Bradford was visited by the disease, in January and 
Februai-y, and carried to the grave great numbers — S6 
burials are noted in the church register for each monrh. 
AtSheilield the malady was more fatal than the cholera of 1S32 



THK SURROUJMDING DISTRICT. 443 

1837.— Jan. 

the patients afflicted within the town amounting at 
one time to about 1500, and the deaths to upwards of 100 
per Aveck. In London and Scotland it assumed tlie more 
malignant form of typhus fever, and vast numbei"s died. 
In Dublin it was very fatal, there were a 1,000 funerala oa 
Sunday the ^Oth of January, in fliat city alone. 

Jan. 21st. Charles Milner, Esq., Ilecorder of Leeds, died 
of influenza, aged 4S He war; a man of high honour and 
inflexible independence of char?.eter, possessing, in an 
eminent degree, that moral courage which peculiarly fitted 
him for his public duties ; as a la^vyer, few men in the pro- 
fession knew more; and as a judge, humanly speaking, 

he was faultless. On the lollowing day, (I he 22nd) 

after a few days illness, died of the prevailing epidpn]ic, 
the Rev. Richard Fawcett, M.A., vicar of Leeds, jiged 76. 
He was appointed to the vicarage of Leeds on the 22nd of 
March, 1S15, and held the pastoral charge of that populous 
and important j^arish for nearly twenty- two years. His 
sound christian doctrines was enforced with sincerity and 
earnestness,audwas practically evinced by his brotherly love 
his unostentatious demeanour, his extensive charity, and 
his universal benevolence. A tablet is erected to the 
memory of the deceased, wi'hin the altar rails of the 
Leeds parish church, on the north-east side, and bears the 
following inscription : — 

" To the memory of the late Rev. Richard Fawcett, M A., vicar of 
this jiari.sh, in which the whole of his ministerial 1 ibours liad beeo 
spent ; having been s-even j'ears curate of this church, twenty-rhree 
years incumbent of Armley, and upwards of tiventy years A'icar of tbis 
parish, a man of genuine lilaerality, firm in principle, in his manners 
courteous, who died Jan 22nd., 1837, ^S^'^ 7^, beloved by his family, 
valuf^d by his friends, and esteemed and respected by all his pari.'?h- 
i oners." 

Feb. 18th. Lord John Russell appointed Robert Baynes 
Armstrong, recorder of Hull, to be the recorder of Leeds, 
in the place of Mr. Milner, deceased, and appointed Mr. 
Matthew Talbot Baines, of Leeds to Mr. Armstrong's place. 

26lh. From a mistaken notion that the new regis- 
tration act would increase the fees of baptism, there were 
baptized at one church in Manchester, in one day, 360 
children ; at HuddersCeld, 86 ; at Bradford, in three days, 

398; at Leeds, in three days, 400. Mr- William Hirst, 

manufacturer, of Leeds, having beoi for a long time con- 
fined in Rothwell gaol, for debt, his Majesty on hearing of 



444 ANNALS OF LKKDK, YORK, AND 

1^37— F KB. 

the cas^o senr a. henefactioii of £20. His fellow- townsmen 

alvo raised a subscripiiou for his beuelit:, amounting to 

£1,308. 

Oil Mond ly, the 20th of March, the Rev. Walter Jarquhar 
Hook, M.A of Covenlry, was elected vicar of Leeds, in the 
p:acp of ilie Rev. Richard Fawcett, deceased. He had six- 
teen \-o(es out of twenty-live, that being- tke number of 
elfctinii: tr-.sfees, two of wliom Avere not present, the votes 
were as follows : — Rev. W. F. Hook, 16, Rev. Wm. Langley, 5, 
R( V. Geo. Wray, 1, Rev. Mr. Dorigshun, 1. It is impossible 
to conceive i-u {lection conducted on principles more hon- 
ourable to all parties. The trustees disregarding all local in- 
flurifce. elected, solely from his very high character, a gentle- 
man who, a fortnighf prior, was not known by sight to so 
muci) as one of iheir body. Mr. Hook had altogether forbore 
to sf ek, he simply acquiesced in an appointment which 
grpa'ly enlarged his sphere of action, and bestowed on liim 
ahiiih dryree of ecclesiastical precedence,more than trebling 
the amoiiiif of his church preferments. 

A] Mil 'i'he merchants of Liverj)Ool and INTanchester 
a])p'ird (o government for a^sis'ance, owing to the depress- 
ion (?f trade, and suspension of credit, mainly caused by 
failures in America. The Liverpool memorial to the chan- 
cellor of the Exchequer sta'ed : — " That the distress of the 
mcrcan'ile inteiest is intense beyond example, and that it 
is rapirly extending to all ranks and conditions of the com- 
miii if y. KO as to threaten irretrievable ruin in all directions, 
iiiv^lv ng the prudent with the imprudent, the manufacturer 
AvjHi Uir mortliant, and the v.'eavers, spinners, and labour- 
erw trei,er-'l!y, wifh the manufacturers themselves." The 
disfress nf the hand oom weavers of Manchester \vas very 
prea'. Hundreds of them paraded the streets demanding 
b^ead from the shopkeepers, alleging that they and their 
fa'* '!]' s were li'erally starving. 

20 h. (hi the evening of this day there was a total eclipse 
of the moon. The obscuration commenced at half- past six, 
and ended at a quarter past ten. About half-past eight, 
t! e earth was betwixt the sun and the moon, and the sun 
■was acnially below the horizon ; but owing to the refrac- 
tion of the earth's atmosphere, the sun remained for some 
time a^iove the western horizon, while the moon appeared 
par'ially f elipsed in the eastern. 

iSlay 24th. This day was celebrated throughout the 
c<'un!ry wifh great demonstration of loyalty, occasioned 
by the ]irincess Victoria having attained her legal majority. 
In Leeds the shops and manufactories were closed. The 



THK saRRODNDING DISTRICT. 445 

1837— June. 

feu de joie from the barracks, and the ringing of the parish 
church bells. 

June 7th. The first meeting of the Leeds Horticultural 
and Floral Societ}'', was held in the Music Hall, under the 

patronage of the worshipful the mayor, 14th, The 

boiler of the Union steam packet, exploded at Hull, 150 
passengers were on board at the time ; she blew up with a 
tremendous force, and the vessel immediately sunk. 
Twent}^ one individuals were killed, and many others 

received serious injury. The Leeds Waterworks were 

originated at a very early date, viz., 1694, when, at a 
court held in that year, it was agreed that Messrs. Gilbert 
and Scorocold, of Leicester and Derby, sliould " lay an 
Engine to convey water from the river of Aire, through 
the streetes to the seurall houses within the towno of 
Leeds aforesaid .... on consideration of the sume of 
forty pounds, to be paid to the treasurer of this corporacon, 
for the use and benefit thereof," &c. After improvements 
(in 1754, 1790, and subsequent years) water was pumped 
from the river Aire near the bridsre, into small reservoirs in 
New-street, St. John's, and Albion-street, at the rate of 
80 or 90 gallons per minute. They were found so inefficient 
in 1836, tiiat upwards of 60,000 of the inhabitants of Leeds, 
Holbeck, and Hunslet, had no supply, except from Avells 
and rain w-ater. In June 1837. an act of parliament Avas 
obtained for abandoning the old, and for constructing new 
works, by a company of proprietors, at the estimated cost 
of £91,000 raised in <£*2.5 shares. They derive tlieir chief 
supply from copious springs at Eccup and Aldwoodiey, 
about six miles north of Leeds. These springs yield about 
oOO gallons of pure water per minute, which is collected in 
a reservoir at Eccuj), covering the extensive area of 50 
acres, and holdinar 257 millions of gallons. The aqueduct 
consists of 7 arches, each of .34 feet span. The wafer is 
sent in culverts and pipes, and flows into the service I'eser- 
voirs at Weetwood and Woodhouse, which, together, hold 
about 33 million gallons. An act obtained in 1852 em- 
powered the corporation to purchase the v/orks (which had 
previously been in the hands of a company) at a cost of 
£227,419 9s. 6d., and to make considerable improvements. 
Under this act, and one obtained in 1856, extensive pump- 
ing works were constructed at Arthington, consisting of 
two engines of lOO-horse power each, which lift 2,500,000 
gallons of water per day, from the river Wharfe to the 
reservoir at Eccup, a height of about 250 feet, and a distance 
of 3}^ miles. These works were opened May, 1856. The 

38 



446 ANNALS OF LKKDS, YOfi'K, AND 

183/ — June. 

town and suburbs have now an ample suppl}'- of the pure 

beverage of nature, which has proved a great blessing 

to the inhabitants at Inrgp. 

20th. Yfjlliam the IV., died at Windsfor castle, of general 
decay, at twelve minutes past two o'clock in the morning. 
He was born on the 21st of August, 1765, and Avas the 
third son of George III. He ascended the throne, at the 
death of his brother, George IV., on the 26th of June, IS30. 
He had therefore lived 71 years and 10 mouths, and has 
reigned very nearly seven years. He was fervent in his 
expressions of religious hope, and just before breathing 
his last, faintly articulated " Thy will be done." The queen 
had been unremitting in her attentions ; was sc«arcely ever 
absent from the sick chamber, and for twelve days did not 
take off her clothes. The loss of the king was generally 
and sincerely felt by the nation, as that of a good man and 
be}ieficent sovereign, who had committed no wrong, pro- 
voked no enmity, and whose memory may safely repose 
undisturbed by the shafts of envy, vengeance, or maliii-nity. 
The Princess Alexandrina Victoria was proclaimed Queen 
of England the same day. Within a month after her access- 
ion, parliament v-'as dissolved, and a general election ensued. 

An order appeared in the London Gazette, dated 21st 
June, giving public notice " that it is expected that all 
persons, upon the present occasion of the death of his late 
majesty, of blessed and glorious memory, do put themselves 
into decent mourning ; the said mourning to begin upon 

Saturday next, the 24th instant." 27th. The accession 

of Queen Victoria was proclaimed in Leeds with great 
loyalty and splendour. 

July. The Wesleyan conference was held in Leeds during 

this month. 10th. A public meeting was held at the 

court -hou'-e, Leeds, for the ])urpose of determining on the 
most suitable means of alleviating the great distress which 
prevailed amongst the labouring classes. In August follow- 
ing, a commission sat in Leeds and other towns to investi- 
gate the cause of the distress amongst the hand-loom 
v/eavers. Most of the witnesses attributed the distress to 
machinery, and said that a repeal of the corn- laws would 
mitigate their sufferings. It was given in evidence that it 
was impossible for hand-loom weavers to earn more than 
ten or twelve shillings a ^veek, when v\^orking full time. 

^ 20th. The cloth manufactory of Messrs Shaw, brothers, 
Aire-street, Leeds, was totally destroyed by Hre. 

27th. Lep:ds Election. The nomination of candidates to 
represent the borough of Leeds, took place on Woodhouse 



THK SUliaOUKDING DISTRICT. 447 

1837.— July. 

moor, on the 26Lh of Juiy. iu the presence of not less than 
40,000 persons. Sir John Beckett, was moved and yecouded 
by Mr. John Gott, and Mr. George Banks ; ICdvvard Baines, 
Es(p, by Mr. J, G. Marshall, and Mr. H. li. .^Jiansfeld ; and 
fcsir V/illiam Molesworth, by Mr. Alderman Good}nau, and 
Mr. Alderman Musgrave. The sho^v of hands was in lavoiir 
of Mr. Baines, and Sir Vv''. Molesworth. The polling took 
place on the following day the '27th, and was conducted 
with great spirit. The result was as iuUows : — 

Mr. E. Baines (Vv) :?/J2^. 

iSir W. Aloksicorth (K) J..S-!>. 

Sir J. Beckett ( I'j 1,759. 

The split votes were: — Baiue^5 and ]Moies;wur;Ii, iS.jG, 
Baiaes and Beckett, S2, .Molesworth and Beckett, iu. The 
plumpers were: — Baines, 90, iMo'es'.vorth. 14, Bcckcir, 

1,667; ojl'd voted. Tlio election at Dradiord on llie 

2Gth of July, resulted in the return of E. C. Li.-^[cr, and 
William Busheld, the nuinbcj-s being at the close of the poll. 
Lister, (W) 63.'), Busheld, {\V) 621, John Hardy, (T) 443, 

Wra. BusSeld, junr.,(T) 3S3. At llaiifax, E.'Protlieroe, 

and Charles Wood Vv'cre elected. 'i'l:e numbers Vieiug, 
Protheroe, (W) 496, Wood, (W) 487, Hon. J. S. Wort ley, 

(T) 3aS. At Huddersfield, W. II. C. Stansiieid wa;* 

returned. The votes being Stansiield, (W) 323, Bichard 
Oastler, (T) IH)1. 

Aug.4tn. The election of t\ro members for the Vrest-Eidiug' 
of Yorkshire, resulted as follows: — Lord A'orpetli, (W) 
12,576, Sir Geo. Strickland, (W) 11,892, the Hon. Johu S. 
Worlley, ll,4bO, Samuel Wood, (of Slaithwaite) 1, Eiiliu 
Hobson, (Netherthong) 1. At the i.ominatio;i lor the West- 
Riding election at Wakefield, a disgraceful ri'jt occarred. 
The hustings v/ere erected in Wood-street, adjoininy (he 
court house, and during the proceedings^, a disturbance 
commenced which progressed to a desperate light between 
the partizans of the candidates, who were distinguished 
by tae respective colours, blue and yellow. Flag-staves 
were broken in two for thepurposc of converting tlifm into 
bludgeons, with which the mob fought hand- to-hand, with 
a determiiiation hardly to be exceeded on a held of battle. 
Those who were not provided Avith vv'caj)ons of trie de- 
scription mentioned, laid their hands ujjon bricks or any 
other missile that came in their way, v,hich they hurled 
right and left, wholly indifferent as to couse{[Ucnccs. 
Broken heads and bloudy noses were conspicuous in all 
directions- When t!ie street combatants had exhausted 



448 ANNALS OF LEEDH, YORK, AND 

1837— Aug. 

their fury, a general attack v/as made upon the hustings, 
but although brick-bats fell as thick as hail-stones, the in- 
juries sustained were comparatively trilling, those present 
contriving to make their escape from the back part into the 
interior of the court. The affray, however, did not end 
without fatal consequences. Mr. Carter, residing at Cleck- 
heaton, was struck on the head with a brick, and with 
such force, as to occasion his death shortly after. The 
amiability of his character had won for him universal re- 
spect, and his untimely end excited the deepest regret. A 
Avoman named Margaret Moore, from Leeds, was also struck 
in a similar manner, and she died in a few days. An inquest 
vv'as held before John Blackburne, Esq., coroner, at the 
court house, Leeds, and the inquir}-- was of a very pro- 
tracted kind, owing to an attempt being made to identify 
one of the sons of John Hardy, Esq., formerly member for 
Bradford, as having thrown the brick with which the unfor- 
tunate woman was killed. The evidence, however, failed to 
establish the accu.-<atian, and ths jury returned an open 
verdict. The windows of the Tammy Hall and the Wood- 
man Inn, were wholly demolished, as well as a great 
Jiumber in the court house. In the mean time an express 
had been sent to Leeds for the assistance of the military, 
and a detachment of dragoons speedily arrived, and were 
drawn up in front of the Corn Exchange. Fortunately, 
however, the disturbance gradually subsided, and with the 
exception of public-house brawls, the town resumed its 

wonted quiet, 14th. The Earl of Cardigan died aged 

6S years. 

Oct. 4th. The Leeds Bifle Ckth, esfsibWshedi in June, IS36, 
met to practice tor the hrst time on the 24th of May, 1837, 
and oil the 4th of Oct. in the same year, their last meeting 
of the season ^vas held at the shooting ground, at Kirkstall 
Abbey. The first prize was awarded to Mr. Henry Stooks 
Smith, the second to Mr. Francis "William Tetley, and the 
third to Mr. William Sykes Ward. 'I'he distance of shoot- 
ing was 120 yards. At the close of the season in the 
following year, 1838, the prizes were awarded to Mr. George 
SkirrowBeecroft, Mr. Abraham Horsfall, and Mr. H. S. Smith. 
The club soon afterwards ceased to exist, in consequence 
of its being declared to be illegal. 

2;3rd. A splendid portrait of " George Goodman, Esq. 
first mayor of the borough of Leeds, under the Municipal 
Eeform Act," painted by John Simpson, Esq., was presented 
to the town council by the burgesses of the said borough. 



THE SCR HOUNDING DISTRICT. 449 

] 837.— Nov. 

LEEDS MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS, 1st November, IS.'v. 

The names in Brackets were elected. 

Mill-hill, [John Howard, C. 356. Radford Pot's, C. 354,] Hairy 

Raw.son, L. 2S3, J. D. Liicccck, L. 27/. West, [William Dove, 

C.792, Adam Hunter, M.D., C. 7^7,] George Wise, L. 730. 

North-West, ' W B. Hokls^vorth, L. 281,] Ralp]-. IMarklanrl, C. 

249. North:; [WMJliam Watson. L. 24-'^, William Whiiehea 1, 

L. 244, Charles Wood, C 122,] Wat.son and Whirelieid were declared 
bv the presiding alderman to be duly elected; hnt they were after- 
ward.-s unseated by Mandamus, and Wood, the con.servative candidate 
was declared to be elected. The liberal party had supposed that a 
councillor vice Brown, a binkrupt, couhl be returned at the usual 
election on the 1st of Nov., when in fact it required an extraordinary 
election fur the purpose. The liberal votirig-papers were consequently 
all wrong, and so far as Wati>on and Wb.iiehead were concerned, the 
election was declared to be void. Nov. l/th, vice Brown a bankrupt, 

[Wm. Watson L 619,] Jas.Hargrave, C.588. NoRTH-EAST,[Saml. 

Lawson, C. 7/3,] J. W. Smith, L. 384. East, [Israel Burrows, 

L. 598,] Charlps Scarbroucrh, C. 499. Kirkgate, [John Smith 

Barlow, L. 12] Sopth, [Robert Derham, L. 144.]^: Hux- 

SLET, [Josa. Bov/er, L. 194,] Joseph Beckett, C. 167 Holbeck, 

"Jonathan Shackleton, L. I7, John Forster, L I7.] BRAMLiiY, 

Richard Yv'ilson,L. 68, Benjamin Rogers, L. 68.] Headinglki', 

George Skirrow Beecro ft C. 165,] Thomas Clapham, L. 27. 

Nov. 9th. Thos. Wm. Tottie, was elected mayor. The vott;s were 
Tottie, 34. Thos. PTehden, 13. 

This year was marked at Bradford by the occurrence of 
a serious riot, arising out of the introduction of tlie New- 
Poor-lav/. In February the Bradford Union had been con- 
stituted. On xMonday, Octotier 30tli, the guardians met at 
the court house to make arrang-eineuts for taking the 
management of the poor into their handni. The meeting 
was Urst held in the jury-room ; but 011 account of the 
violence of the crowd in the court-house to obtain admission 
into the room, the board adjourned to the 20th of Novem- 
ber, and in the mean time, application was made by the 
assistant-commissioner for the aid of the military. Accord- 
ingly, OTi Saturday evening, the 18th, a detachment of 
about forty of the l.lth Iiussars, comi'ianded by Captain 
Murray, and Lieutenant Pilgrim, arrived in the town. At 
ten o'clock on Monday, the guardians met at the court- 
house, and proceeded to business. Not above one hundred 
persons Avere then present. About twelve o'clock they 
amounted to five or six thousand. All the doors leadir>g to 
the court-house were barricaded and secured ; and the 
crowd finding it impossible to obtain access, began to throw 



450 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1837— Nov. 

stones at the windows. One of the magistrates went to 
the Talbot Inn ft)r the soldiers, who came at hand erallop, 
and formed in a line before the iron palisading in front of 
the court-house, and for some time remained inactive. At 
leng-th a darinp: fellow contrived to remove the barricado, 
and immediately a body of men rushed up the stairs and 
began to force the folding-doors leading to the place of 
meeting of the guardians. As soon as Mr. Paley saw these 
movements he read the riot act This did not avail; upon 
which the military were ordered to clear the court-house 
yard and steps; which -^^^as effected after a considerable 
resistance, and some of the soldiers had been severely 
wounded with the shower of stones with which they were 
assailed from Leeds New- road. The charges and counter- 
charges between rhe mob and soldiers continued for several 
minutes, the latter behaving Avith great forbearance and 
using only the back of the sword. A pause now took 
place, after which a iiumber of the mob proceeded to the 
"field to the north of the court-house, and began very de- 
liberately to smash the windows. On hearing this the 
soldiers leaped their horses over the low Avail and quickly 
dispersed the people. The mob were now comparatively 
quiet till the breaking up of the meeting of guardians. 
"When the guardians in company with the magistrates left 
the court-house, they were followed by several hundreds of 
people. When they came near Brook-street they were as- 
sailed by volleys of stones, one of which struck Mr. Paley 
on the head, but his hat saved him from serious injury. 
The party of guardians and magistrates were upon this 
obliged to take slielter in a warehouse. A party of soldiers 
shortly after arrived and escorted them into the town. 
The people about three o'clock began to disperse, and the 
military were ordered to their quarters. When the soldiers 
had disappeared, the people were emboldened to assemble 
again at the court-house; again attacked the windows of 
the building with great assiduity, and before the arrival of 
the military, had nearly demolished every pane. The mob 
now began to shew a determination to oppose the soldiers ; 
and darkness coming on, a desultory skirmish took place, 
which was prolonged till seven o'clock. The soldiers, 
having received much provocation, began to display less 
command, and used their pistols and the edge of the sword. 
A young man Avas shot through the arm, and obliged to 
have the member amputated. Several Avere slightly 
wounded, but none mortally, as the soldiers, pursuant to 



THK SURROUNDIJSG DISTRICT. 451 

1837.— Dec. 

orders, tired very low. Several persons concerned in the 
riot Mere taken and committed to York castle to take 
their trial. 

Dec. 2nd. A fog occurred this evening-, the most dense, 
that had been known for many years. 11th. A meet- 
ing- of delegrates from thirteen jMechanic-^' Institutes was 
held at Leeds, at which the West-Riding Union of Mechan- 
ics' lustitntes ^vas formed : subsequently enlarged to be the 
Yorkshire Union of Mechanics' Institutes. The plan of the 
association was laid down in an article of the Leeds Mer- 
cury on the 16th of Sept , written by Edward Baines, 
junior, Esq. 

2l3t. The extremely heavy rain for two or three days 
preceeding this time, produced one of the highest and most 
sudden Hoods ever known in Yorkshire. In Leeds, \yater- 
lane, School-close, and Lady Bridge, Lady-lane, suffered 
the most. The streets were rendered impassable. The 
water in some places being four or five feet high. The 
water in Messrs. Marshall's mill, was thirteen inches higher 
than the level of Water-^ane, much damage was done to 
property in the vicinity of the flood. At Bradford, Halifax, 
and other places tlie water did much damage. At Bradford, 
on Wednesday, the 20th of December, the rain descended 
in torrents for six or eight hours, and this, with the almost 
incessant rRin for several days, caused a most alarming 
flood. The water in the beck had increased so considerablv 
that the inhabitants in the lower parts of the town began 
to remove their goods. About two o'clock, the passage 
being choked up, the water shortly overflowed the mIioIc 
of the lower ])art of the town. One continuous and im- 
petuous current flowed from the end of Thornton-road, 
doM'n Tyrrel-street, over the area of the Sun Bridge, Bridge- 
street, Market-street, and Well-street; and reaching up 
the hill a=5 far as Hustler-gate on one side, and Skinner-lane 
on the other. In many parts of the streets the stream was 
six feet in depth. From the Old Brewery, not only an im- 
mense number of empty casks, but several barrels of ale were 
swept away. At one time, a waggon laden with wood 
was seen majestically floating dowa the stream. The loss 
of property, especially by grocers, in the lower part of the 
town was very great. Three persons perished in the flood, 
Thomas Keefon, head ostler at the Sun Inn, while attempt- 
ing to save some floating casks, slipped into a water course 
in Union-street, and was drowned. A female named 
Susannah Lightowler, of Wibsey, while attempting to cross 
Thornton-road was swept away ; and a child belonging to 



452 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1 837.— Dec. 

Thomas Taylor, in Dunkirk-street, was drowned in a 

cellar before the mother could get it away. The loss to 

poor cottag-ers was very considerable. 

Robert Nicoll, a poet, of simple, true, and earnesfc 
feeling, was born January 7th, 1814, in the farm-house of 
Little Talliebeltaue, in the parish of Auchtergavane, in 
Pertshire. His father, a farmer, who counted a long pedi- 
gree of decent, honest, God-fearing people, fell from 
comfortable circumstances into poverty, in consequence of 
having become security for a relative. The sou, from his 
early days, had to work in the fields with the other mem- 
bers of the family, which consijited of nine children, 
besides father and mother. Yet that goodness which tem- 
pers the severest lot of the virtuous poor was around tliem, 
and at the lowest ebb of their fortunes man}'- of the best 
blessings of life sweetened tlieir trials : that must have 
been a cheerful home from which sprang the germs of 
NicoU's poetry — his songs, his descriptions of rustic man- 
ners, and his portraits of rustic contemporaries. In his 
boyhood he was a keen reader, and from his studious dis- 
position Avas termed by other boys " The Minister." When 
about twelve, he was taken from herding, and sent to 
work in the garden of a neighbouring proprietor. He 
went to school during the winter, but learnt little. When 
about 14 he formed an acquaintance with a young student, 
named Marshall, from whom he learnt his own deficiencies, 
and had his desire for self- culture quickened. In a book- 
club which he joined, he found other means of improve- 
ment, particularly Scott's Novels, with which he was 
enchanted. As early as 13 he began to put his thoughts on 
paper, and even became a correspondent of a pro- 
vincial newspaper. At 16, despairing of being able 
to write the English language, correctly, he made 
a bonfire of his papers, and wrote no more until 
he was eighteen. " My excursive course of reading, 
among both poets and prosers," he says, "gave me many 
pleasures of v/hich my fellov/s knew nothing, but it like- 
wise made me more sensitive to the insults and degrada- 
tions that a dependent must sniFer. You cannot know the 
horrors of dependence, but I have felt them, and have regis- 
tered a vow in heaven that I will be independent, though it 
be but on a crust and water." In Perth, where he had 
bound himself apprentice to a grocer and wine merchant, 
he bought " Gobbet's English Grammar," and having by 
constant study made himself master of its contents, he 



THE SaUROUNDlNG DISTRICT. 453 

1837— Dec. 

again began to write, and with more satisfactory results. 
He also obtained permission to use the Perth Library, 
"where he found, and benefited by, Milton's, Locke's, and 
Bentham's works. Speaking of this period of his life, he 
.remarks, " I do not rate my literary productions too highly ; 
but they have all a definite purpose — that of trying to raise 
the many. I am a Radical in ever}'- sense of the term, and I 
must stand by my order. I am employed in working for 
my mistress from seven o'clock in the morning until nine 
at night; and I must therefore write when others are asleep. 
During winter to sit without a fire is a hard task; but 
summer is coming — and then !" Seeing how sm;ill were 
the gains of his parents, he, with two pounds that he had 
saved, enabled his mother to open a little shop in her cot- 
tage at 'I'ulliebeltane, and to attend the weekly market at 
Perth. ,^.bout this time NicoU became a member of a de- 
bating society, which was partly political and partly 
literary. Here he acquired the important faculty of 
addresing public assemblies, which he afterwards turned 
to good account. To improve himself in composition, he 
wrote short stories, one of which entitled " II Zingaro," he 
sent to "Johnstone's Magazine," in the pages of which it 
■was printed. It is the tale of a gipsy youth, of fine and 
aspiring genius, who, smitten with love for a beautiful 
girl, becomes a water-carrier in an Italian city, and who, 
by resolutely enduring every kind of privation, and exert- 
ing wonderful energy, is enabled to become the pupil of an 
eminent painter, and fitially acquires great eminence in his 
art, and obtains the hand of the object of his love and his 
exertions. Towards the close of his apprenticeship Nicoll's 
health became seriously atTected, when his mistress sent 
him home to be nursed by his mother. At leisure in his 
native air, he soon recovered, and then visited Edinburgh 
in quest of employment. Failing in his object, he returned 
home, and opened a circulating library in Dundee. The 
year 1835 was an important epoch in his life. He wrote 
frequently for the Liberal newspapers of the town; de- 
livered political lectures ; made speeches; augmented his 
stores of knowledge by reading; wrote poems; aiid pre- 
pared and published his volume of " Poems and Lyrical." 
This work was v/ell received. Shortly after coming to 
Dundee, he formed an ardent attachment to Miss Alice 
Suter, a very pretty and amiable girl, who eventually 
became his wife. His business in Dundee did not flourish, 
but Nicoll was not a man to yield easily. This appears 
from a letter dated Feb. 6th, 1836, to his mother, 



454 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 
1837.— Dec. 

in which he says "Half tbo uuhappiness of life springs 
from looking back to griefs which are past, and 
forward with fear to the future. That is not my 
way. I am determined never to bend to the storm that 
is coming, and never to look back on it after it has 
passed. The more I think and reflect I feel that, whether 
I be growing richer or not, I am growing a wiser man^ 
which is far better. Pain, poverty, and all the other wild 
beasts of life Mhicli so affright others, I am so bold as to 
think I could look in the face without shrinking, without 
losing respect for myself, faith in man's high destinies, and 
trust in God. There is a point which it costs much mental 
toil and struggling to gain, but which, when once gained,. 
a man can look down from, as a traveller from a lofty 
mountain, on storms raging belov/, while he is walking in 
sunshine. That I have gained this point in life, I will not 
say, but I feel myself daily nearer it." From Dundee*, 
Robert Nicoll passed to Edinburgh, where he obtained 
gome temporary employment in Mr. Tait's warehouse. By 
means of that gentleman, he procured in August, 1836, the 
situation of editor of the Leeds Times^ with the narrow- 
salary of £100 a year. After he had been for some 
time in Leeds, he says in a letter to his brother, 
" You will see I am speaking boldly out, and the people 
here like it ; and the proprietor of the Leeds Times is aware 
that it is to my exertions he owes the wonderful success of 
the paper. We are near 3,000, and incrccising at the rate 
of 200 a- week. We are beating both Whigs and Tories in 
York>;hire rarely. I like Hobson very much. He never 
sees the paper till it be printed. I mean to have a higher 
salary though." In December he went down to Dundee to 
be married, and soon returned to Leeds v/ith his bride. In 
his brief career he tasted largely of all the higher enjoy- 
ments of life. His was a happy home; but his duties were 
incessant and harassing. Amidst his engagements he found 
recreation in writing poetry. He was not long to enjoy 
existence. He felt the severity of t]»e spring of 1837. The 
finishing blow to his health was given by the general 
election in the summer of the same year, when the town of 
Leeds Avas contested by Sir William Molesv/orth, in 
opposition to Sir John Beckett. Into this contest Nicoll 
naturally threw himself with his whole heart and soul- 
As an enthusiastic Radical, as the editor of a liberal news- 
paper, as a man now looked up to by a con.siderable por- 
tion of the ten-pound electors, and all the intelligent non- 
electors, he was trebly pledged to this cause ; and those 



THK HURUOUNDING DISTiilCT. 455 

3837.— Dec. 

who have contemplated his char?.cter, even as it is faintly 
indicated in this sketch, may imagine the intensity and 
ardour with which, on this occasion he exerted himself. 
After a very severe struggle, the cause which he advocated, 
triumj)hed in Leeds; but the contest left poor NicoU in 
such a state of exhaustion, that his wife afterwards said — 
that if Sir "SVilljam I\Iolesworth had failed, Robert would 
liave died on the instant. He was destined to linger on 
for a few more suffering months. In reply to his mother's 
anxious inquiry as to his health, he Avrites as follows : — ■ 

Leeds, TVe(f?iesday, Sept. 13(/i, ISG^. 

'" My own dear AIother, — This morning I received your 
letter. The ' kind' friend who was so particularly kind as 
to alarm you all out of j'our senses, need not come to my 
house again. Before, I did not write you all about my 
illness, because I did not wish to make you uneasy ; but it 
shall be no longer so. I will tell you how it began — when 
it began — its progress — its present state." Llaving de- 
scribed his case at length, and given the opinions of the 
medical men, and those of his wife and liis mother-in-la\A'-, 
in tl:e manner most likely to soothe the fears of his mother, 
he, at the same time, owns that he is very vreak. He 
then proceeds to another subject, ])robably in answer to 
some message from his venerable and ])ious grandfather : — 
*' ?.Iy love to aunt and grandfather ; tell both that I do not 
knovv^ how I could better serve my God than by serving my 
fellow-men. He gave me a mission, and I trust I have done 
my best to fulfil it. As for you, dear mother, dear father, 
I bid you be of good cheer ; I shall recover yet, though it 
•will fake a v/hile. And if I do not, I trust I am prepared 
calmly to meet the worst. My life has not yet been a long 
one, but 1 have born much sickness — sickness such as opens 
the grave before men's eyes, and leads them to thin!: of 
death ; and I trust I have not borne this, and suffered, and 
thought in vain." 

His illness increased so rapidly that in the autumn he was 
obliged to quit Leeds. He took leave of his friends, the 
Eeformers of the "^.Vest- Riding, in a short address, winch 
"the deep sincerity of his heart, and the solemn circum- 
stances under v» hich it was written, rendered doubly 
emj)hatic. 

" TO THE RADICAL? OF THE WE-T RIDING." 

"■ Br etfren I — Til health coinpel.s me to leave y on rlocahtj^, where 
I have laboured earrestlj and i^incerelj', and I trust not altogether 



456 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1837.— Dec. 

without effect, in the holy work of human regeneration. I go to try 
the effect of my native air, as a last chance for life ; and, after the last 
number, I am not responsible for anything which may appear in the 
Leeds Times, having ceased to be the editor of that paper from 
that date. 

''I could not leave you without saying this much, without bidding 
you, one and all, farewell, at least for a season. If I am spared, you 
may yet hear of me as a soldier of the people's side: if not, thank 
God! there are millions of honest and noble men ready to help in the 
great work. Your cause emphatically is 

The holiest cause that pen or sword 
Of mortal ever lost or gained. 
And that you may fight in that cause in an earnest, truthful, manly 
spirit, is the earnest prayer of one, who never yet despaired of the ul- 
timate triumph of truth. 

"Robert Nicoll." 

Returning to Scotland, he found some relief under the 
wise and kind treatment of Dr. Andrew Combe. Soon, 
however, his symptoms grew worse, and he died on Decem- 
ber 7tb, in his 24th year, at Laverock Bank, near Leith. 
His remains were laid in the churchyard of North Leith, to 
which place they were attended by a numerous assemblage. 
He was passionately fond of song and ballad music, and 
liked to hear his wife chant such ballads as the "Flowers 
of the Forest ;" and alone, by his own fireside, to pour forth 
his overflowing emotions in musical strains. The poems 
and songs of Nicoll, some of which are in his vernacular 
tongue, have given him the name of Scotland's second 
Burns. They display'- much of the passionate energy, and a 
large share of the philanthrophy, which characterize the 
works of the Ayrshire bard. 

1838. Jan. In this month, the frost was so intense, that 
the principal rivers in England were completly frozen over. 

Feb. 16th. A very serious explosion of fire damp, took 
place at the Robin Hood's colliery, belonging to Messrs. 
Charlesworth, by which several persons were killed, and 
several others severely injured. 

May. The small pox was very prevalent at Wortley,near 
Leeds, and in many instances proved fatal. 

In June, eight coaches came direct to Leeds from Lon- 
don, daily, carrying when full, 32 inside, and 68 outside 
passengers. 1,477 coaches left London daily for all parts 
of the kingdom. 248 coaches ran daily out of Manchester 
to various places ; and 154 out of Birmingham. 

28th. The coronation of Queen Victoria took place this 
day. The event was celebrated throughout the kingdom 
with great splendour and rejoicing. 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 457 

1838— Jul J. 

Jal3'4tli. The southern part of Yorkshire, and part of 
the count}' of Lancaster were visited by a terrific storm of 
thuuder and hail, Avhich did immense damage to property 
and caused a great loss of life. In the ueighbouihood of 
Stainbro', Dod worth, and Silkstoiie, near Barns^ley, the 
storm was very violent. In the valley of the south-west 
side of Dodworth, the water rose to such a height that it 
reached the entrance of a coal-pit in the hill side, belong- 
ing to R. Clarke, Esq., called the Moor-Side Pit; the water 
rushed in, so that in a short time it was tilled. A number 
of colliers were at w^ork in the pit, and twenty-six persons 
perished in the water, eleven of them females. The damage 
done to the windows alone, at Wentworth castle, was 
estimated at £500. All the glass of the green and hot- 
houi^es was totally destroyed, as well as their valuable 
contents. The pineries, franies, flowers, shrubs, Sic, were 
all swept away; and 4000 yards of Availing laid prostrate. 
The whole presented a scene of perfect destruction and 
devastation. The water swept away timber, trees, walls, 
bridges, and a quantity of furniture from the houses, coals, 
tubs, pigs, and clothes from the hedges, and ten beasts 
from Mr. John Archer, of" Saville Hall. It did about £300 
worth of damage in Silkstone, to different individuals. 
The entire village presented the appearance of a complete 
sheet of water ; from one end to the other it was impassi- 
ble for seven hours. 

August 1st. This was an aujjpicious day for the negroes 
in the West Indies. It is necessary to explain that 
four years before, namely, on the 1st of August, 1834, an 
act Avas passed to abolish slavery throughout the British 
dominions. The English government paid the planters, as 
compensation for this emancijjation, twenty millions ster- 
ling. The slave was to pay no part of his redemption, 
but was to be subject to a seven years apprenticeship. 
After four years experiment the slave had proved himself 
worthy of being absolutely free, and his freedom was 
demanded by the people of England. From this day his 
apprenticeship ceased, and the shackles fell from the limbs 
of eight hundred thousand men. 

September 6th. In a lighthouse on the coast of Northum- 
berland, within view of the Fern Islands, lived a family of 
the name of Darling The night of the 6th of September 
was stormy, and the Forfarshire steam boat, whose boiler 
was in bad order, struck on one of the Fern Islands, and 
parted in two. The sea at the time was running very 
high. Mr. Darling, and his daughter Grace, set cut in a 



458 Ar^NALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AXD 

1838.— Sept. 

boat to the perisliii)g crew, and at the imminent daiiger of 
their own lives succeeded in saving nine of them. The 
fact that a young woman had been engaged in this mission 
of mercy, burst upon the world with astonishing effect, 
and the name of "Grace Darling" became famous through- 
out ihe land. 
LEEDS MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS, 1st November, 1838. 
The names in brackets were elected. 

Mill-Hill, [William Her, jun , C. 270, John Atkinson, C: 266,] 

William Price, L. 201, O. Willans, L. 197. West, [William 

Brifrjr, C. 634, Henry Chorley, C 62 L] Joseph Battson, L. 604, Chas. 

Ys^atson, L 603. North-Wes r, [Ralph Markland, C. 3/8,] James 

EobiiiN'on, L.363 North. [Jas Hirg reave, (',464,] Roht Cadman, 

L. 45.') North- East, [Benjamin Holroyd, C. 426,J Joseph Wood- 
head, L. 337 East, [J. A. Buttrey, L.459,] ( havles Searhrongh, 

C. 321 Kirk gate" [Thomas England, C. 2! 6.] Vvilliam 

W^hitehead, L. 169 South, [lames Coldbeck, L. 303,] Stephen 

Mitchell, L. 297 Hunslet, [Joseph Beckett, C. 638,] John 

Wilson, L. 442 Holbkck, [Matthew Hall, L. 547, Joshua 

Wordsworth, L. 546,] John Tempest, jim., C. 492, Anthony Titley, 

C. 489, John Jackson, R. 56 Bramley, [Jo.-<eph Wood, L.455, 

Matthew Mo.'^.s,jun., L. 450,] John Rogerson, C. 407, John Cooper, 
C. 399 HEArixoLEV, [Thomas Charlesworth, C. 2 ] 

Nov. 9th. James Holdforth was elected mayor. The votes were, 
Holdforth 33 ; Henry Hall, 20. 

Considerable discussion and difference of opinion oc- 
curred in the council as to whetlier Mr. Holdforth was 
legally qualified to act as mayor, he having omitted to sub- 
scribe to the oath required to be taken by Roman Catholics. 
The opinion of counsel (Mr. Serjeant Merryweather, M. 
T. Baines, Esq , and Sir W. Follett), vi^as to the effect that 
the election vi^as valid, and on the strength of this the 
mayor resumed ofRce. Three of the aldermen elected by 
the council refused to act in consequence of this decision, 
and others were appointed in their places. 

The following gentlemen were elected aldermen: — William Smith, 
James Musgrave, J. R. Bywater, James Hubbard, Joseph Bateson ; 
and on the 21st, Obadiah Willans, John Goodman, and Thos. Hebden. 

Nov. A serious riot occurred at Todmorden, arising out 
of an anti-Poor Law agitation. 

Dec. 22nd. The average price of wheat for six weeks 
prior to this date was 78s. per quarter : this included much 
unsound wheat. Good wheat Avas from 80s. to 86s. per 
quarter. The price of corn had not been so high for 
twenty years. During the year 183S a serious rebel- 
lion broke out in Canada. 



THE SUKROUNDIKG DISTRICT. 459 

183S-9. 

The first stone of St. Ann's Catholic church, at the top 
of Fcirk-row, Leeds, was laid on the Sth of xVag:ust, 183/, 
and the edifice was opened in the year 183S. It Avas 
built on the site formerly called Park Terrace, situated at^ 
the south end of Cookriuge-street and junction of Guild- 
ford-strcet. The style is perpendicular; the spire is 148 
feet high. The north window in the chancel is a four- 
lighted one, filled with stained glass, representing the lour 
Evaiigelists ; the upper tracery with various religious 
emblems. 'I he south Avindow m the tOAver is a memorial 
one, of the original pastor and four other priests, who 
.died during a learful visitation of fever in 1847- The 
whole of the side windows have stained glans borders. 
In the centre of the altar screen are lull length figuros of 
the Virgin and the infant Jesus; on one i<ide Bishop Wil- 
fred, and on the other St. Ann. There are six other figures, 
of angels sanding on pedestals, under rich canopied 
niches. The stalls and pulpit are very beautiful. The 
church will seat comfortably 800—600 on the ground floor, 
and 200 in the gallery, in which is the organ. Tiie Very 
Rev. Canon Browne is the pastor. There is also attached 
to the charch a boy's school, lor the accumniodation of 500 
children, as well as presbytery and master's house. The 
whole of these buildings were erected under the direc- 
tion of Mr. John Child, architect, Leeds. The priests' 
house, adjoining the church, was I'ormerly the residence of 
the late Benjamin Gott, Esq., having at that time green 
fields in front of it. 

1839. In the year 1820 a foot bridge was made across 
the river Aire at School Close, Leeds, and in the year 1830 
the present structure Mas completed, for a description of 
which see page 346 of the " Annals," where the event was 
Vv^rcngly inserted. The first stone was laid in May, 1837 ; 
and in the great flood in December of that year, the masonry 
then in progress, and the framework under it, withstood 
the immense j)ressure of wreck and devastation winch was 
forced against it in such dense ma><ses, that the fiood was 
compelled to take its course down ^Vater-lane, Meadow- 
lane, 6iC. The ten^porary toot bridge was forced down by 
an im;nense iron boiler which fioatcd against it, and both 
were driven against the frame-work un which the arch was 
built. 

January 7th. A most terrifichurricane sweptoverEngland 
this morning. It was more like a tropical than a mere 
winter storm in this country. One of the most remarkable 
proofs of the force of the wind is the fact that at Leeds, 



460 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1839 -Jan. 7th. 

which is 70 miles distant from the Irish sea, there was a 
saline deposition, whicli must have proceeded from the spray 
of tlie sea, being caught up by the Mn'iid, and carried to so 
great a distance. The salt on the windows was very per- 
ceptible to the taste. Many lives were lost in different 
parts of the kingdom, but fewer than might have been ex- 
pected, from the jsuniberless downfalls oi buildings, chim- 
neys, roofs, &c. The tempest uas the most fatal at Liver- 
pool, where no less than one hundred and sixteenlives were 
lost ; many ships and vessels were wrecked, swamped, 
and cast ashore, and many buildings reduced to ruin. The 
wind was so boisterous during the day in Leeds, that there 
^vas nearly a total suspension of business. The tower of 
Trini^y church, Boar lane, received such serious injury 
that it had to be taken dovvn, and the present beautiful 
steeple, 186 feet high, was erected in its place. Immense 
damage was done to property in all parts of the town. 
St. George's and St. Ann s churches, both tinished and set; 
apart to religious service wiihin a few months, suffered 
very much. About eight yards of the spire of the former 
church was blown down. It broke through the roof, and 
the immense force of the falling stones destroyed a portion 
of the end of the gfillery and a number of the pevi's below, 
and even burst, through the floor info the vaults beneath ! 
About two yards of the spire of St. Ann's, togerher with 
tw^o of the ornamental pinnacles, w^ere blown down, fell 
through the roof, and did much damage to the interior of 
the church. The damage done to mill property in the 
town was extremely large. The high chimney of Mr. 
Fairbairn's foundry was blown down and through the roof, 
4o!ng serious damage to the machinery. The chimneys 
were blown down at the mills of Messrs. Fenton, Murray, 
and Co., Brown & Co., Bagby ; Holroyd, Carlton hill; 
Marshall & Co.. Water-lane; Edward ITalliley, Low Close 
mill, and Mr. Davis, machine maker. New-road-end. At 
the latter mill the fireman was killed by the fall. Ilarcourt's 
machine manufactory, St. Peter's hill, was levelled to the 
ground. The i;gury to dwelling-houses was immense, in 
many cases placing the lives of the inmates in great 
jeopardy. In Jan., flour in Leeds was 3s, lOd. a stone. 

April 15. A five days debate in the House of Commons 
concluded by a vote (majority of 22) expressing approba- 
tion of the principles on which Ministers had carried on 
the government of Ireland. 

In May the ministry of Lord Melbourne resigned, in con- 
sequence of an adverse vote on the bill for suspending the 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 461 

1839— May. 

constiturioii of Jamaica. Sir Robert Peel was called to 
office, but owing to Her Majesty refusing to allow a change 
in her household, resigned, and Lord Melbourne was re- 
called. — - — May 1st. Thos. Flower Ellis, jun., Esq., was ap- 
pointed recorder of Leeds, in the place of Robert Baynee 

Armstrong, Esq. 14th. The Leeds Soke Act received 

the royal assent. By this act the inhabitants of the 
manor of Leeds were discharged trom the custom and 
obligation of grinding their corn or malt at the King's 
mills, Suinegate, which they had been subject to from 
a very tarly period, M^ith a cu:^tomary toll on malt 
amounting to a thirry-second part, and on wheat of 
a-sixteentli part. A compensation of £13,000 was 
paid to Edward Hudson, Esq., of Roundhay, the proprietor 
of the King's mills. The soke custom was in force so early 
as the time of the Crusades, when the houses standing 
upon land formerly belongii g to the Knights Templars, 
and the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem claimed exemp- 
tion from the toll by the payment of a trifling septennial 
demand. The houses thus claiming exemption had stone 
crosses placed upon the ironts, as may be seen in St. 
John's-sfreet and Templar- street, &c. 

May 27th. Mr. Chas. Shaw Lefevre was elected speaker 
of the House of Commons, in the place of Mr. Abercromby, 
resigned, who was called to the House of Peers under the 
title of Baron Dunfermline. 

June 20th. The stock of specie in the bank of P^ngland 
was so lov.', that the directors raised the rate of interest 

to 5>^ per cent. 30th. The Manchester and Leeds 

railway was opened. 

July 20th. An act was {massed (2 and 3 Vic, c. 85) for 
the more easy and speedy recover)^ of small debts and 
damages within the Honor of Pontefract, which included 
the towns of Leeds, Bradford, Hudderstield, Pontefract, 
Birstal, Suaith, Goole, &c., and the district of Saddleworth. 
This act abolished the Ancient Court Baron of the Honor, 
and extended the jurisdiction and practice in actions of 
debt to £15. 

July. A ])ublic exhibition opened in July and continued 
uutirOctober, at the Music hall, Albion-street, Leeds, for 
the benetit of the Leeds mechanics' institute. It contained 
treasures in all the branches of natural history, curiosities, 
antiquities, philosophical apparatus, models of machines, 
chemical preparations, manuscripts, paintings, specimens 
of manufactures, &c. During the three months, about 
9,500 persons were admitted by single ticket. The total 



4G2 ANNALS OF LSED.S, YORK, AND 

1«39.— Aug. 

receipts were £3,407 17s. 2)^d. The balance or profit to 

the institution, after payment ofexpenses, was about £1,780. 

August I7th. The act, authorizing the establishment of 
the uniform penny postage, received the royal assent. 

29th. The Yorkshire Agricultural Society held its annual 
exhibition in Leeds. 

September 3rd. The foundation stone of East Parade 
chapol, Leeds, for the congregatiou that had many years 
worshipped in Salem cha[)e!, was laid by the Rev. John 
Ely, assisted by the late Mr. Baines. It is a beautiiul 
stone edifice ^diuated in East Parade. It was opened in 
January, 1841, and Mas (recttd from designs by Messrs. 
Moffat and Hurst. The style ot architecture is the Grecian 
Doric Order, having a lofty front entrance, with six ele- 
gant pillars. The interior is neat, and has two galleries, 
one above the other. It contains an excellent organ: the 
schools, vestries, &c , are under the building. The Rev. 
H. R. Reynolds, B.A., is minister. 

Septcjnber 4ih. A meeting, advertized for tliis evening, 
at Leeds, under the presidency of the late Edward Baines, 
Esq., MP., to take mto consideration the best means of 
extending the objects of the British and Foreign School 
Society, was completely frustrated by the Chartists pro- 
posing Mr. Hobson, the publisher of the Northern Star, as 
chairman. The meeting was held on the 1 1th inst. incon- 
sequence, when the admittance was by ticket. 

October 29th. Matthew Guant was appointed alderman 
of the borough of Leeds, vice Dr. Williamson, who had re- 
moved from the town. 

Leeds Municipal Election Eccfraordinary. 

February 25th. Bramley Ward, vice Clark, insolvent, (John 

Rogerson, C. 100/,) John Lupton, L. SbJ. June 12th. Mill 

Hill Ward, y/ec' Charlesworth, deceased, Charles Lee. 

LEEDS MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS, 1st November, 1839. 

The names in brackets were elected. 

MiLL-HiLL, (Charles Lee and John Cudworth) West, 

(RichardBramley,C.490, John Patrick, C. 483,) George Wood, R. 195. 

North-West, (John Sykes, C So.) North, (William Watson, 

jun, L. 484,) James Ward, C. 443. North- East, (Griffith 

Wright, C. 485,) William Gregory, R. 30L East, (John 

Cawood, C. 369,) Eli Whiteley, L. 319 Kirkoate, (John 

Simpson, C. 228), T. B. Pease, L. 209 South, (Stephen Mit- 
chell, L. 7). Hunslet, (John Bovver, jun., L. 707,) Thomas 

Harrison. C. 471- Holbeck, (Joseph Cliff, L. 834, J. 0. 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 463 

1839— Nov. 

March, L. S31,) John Temppst, jun , C. 794, Anthony Titley, C. 793- 
Bramley, (John Rogerson, C. 995, Richard JNichols, C. 994,) 

John Lupto:!,L.9Sl, William Musgrdve,C. 9/7 Headinqlby, 

(George Haj'ward, C. 3.) 

November 9th. William Smith was elected mayor, 

November. The disastrous intelligence from America 
of the suspension of specie payments \>y the United States 
bank, and most of the other banks in the Union, caused 
great consternation at Liverpool and Mancliester. A com- 
mittee of the Leeds Town Council made a statistical inc-uiry 
in Nov., as to the population and condition of the toiimship 
of Leeds, from which it a])peared that the population of 
■the town was S2,120 persons, namely, 39,411 males and 
42,709 females, composed as follows : — married persons, 
27,7t)2 ; single persons, 999 ; Avidows and widowers, 2,990; 
lodgers, 4,283; domestic servants, 4,509; children, 41,577- 
The number of dwellings was 18,279, of which 16,773 were 
occupied by English families, 996 by Irish, 70 by families 
belonging to other countries, and 440 were unoccupied. 
The number of inns was 216, beerhouses, 235 ; total, 451. 
There v. ere 98 houses of ill-fame, and two gambling 
houses. The passive population was 20,445, leaving the 
active as 61,675, arranged thus : — Engaged in manufacture 
by poAver, 10,663: hand-loom weavers, 1,289; avooI- 
combers, 138; select trades, 13,233. The 40 places of 
worship afforded accommodation for 47,051 persons — 
13,255 in the Established churches, 11,160 in Wesleyan 
chapels, 6,030 in Independent chapels, and 16,626 in chapels 
belonging to other denominations. There Avere 154 Aveek- 
day schools, containing 6,390 scholars ; 20 factory schools, 
containing 360; and tne Sunday schools contained 11,429 

scholars. 23rd. At an extraordinary meeting of the 

Privy Council this day, her Majesty announced her inden- 
tion to ally herself in marriage Avith Prince Albert of Saxe 

Cobourg and Gotha. At the close of the year wheat 

AA^as from 78s. to 80s. per quarter. At the same time the 
duty on foreign Avheat was ISs 8d. per quarter. 

Dec. 5th. The quarterly meeting of the Geological and 
Polytechnic Society of the West-Riding of Yorkshire Avas 
held in the hall of the Leeds Philosophical and Literary- 
Society. 

A great many meetings were held during this year, in 
nearly all the principal towns in England, on the subject 
of the corn laws Alargemeeting Avas heldin the Leeds cioth 
hall, on Dec. 21st, at Avhich, from eight to ton thousand 
persons were present, to petition parliament for the repeal 



464 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1839— Dec. 

of the corn laws. There were no less than 30,000' 

persons died of sraall-pox, in England and Wales, during 
the two years and a half, ending the 3lst of Dec., 1839;. 
besides vast numbers who had been disfigured, and injured 
in their health. 

Distress, and Chartist Riots. — During the greater 
part of the year 1839, the operative classes in all 
parts of the country had to endure many privations, 
in consequence of the dearness of corn, and tea, and 
from want of employment, especially in the cotton trade. 
In the latter part of the year there were at least 10,000 
persons out of employment in the borough of Leeds. At 
Hunslet, especially, the distress was very great. The dis- 
affected and unemployed, in nearly all the principal towns 
in England exhibited symptoms of riotous conduct. A 
national Chartist convention was formed in London, and 
drew up a petition which was carried into the house of 
commons, on the 14th of June. It was a wonderful docu- 
ment: " a cj''linder of parchment, about the diameter' of a 
coach wheel — literally rolled into the house," and signed 
by upwards of 1,200,000 persons. The petition occasioned 
a good deal of discussion in the house, Avhen on the 12th 
of July a committee was moved for, to consider the five 
points of the petition — universal suffrage — vote by ballot — 
annual parliaraents — paid members of parliament, and 
abolition of the property qualitication ; but the committee 
was refused by a majority of 189, in a house of 281. lu 
the months of July and August, vast quantities of fire-arms 
were seized, and many persons were arrested for training 
and drilling to the use of arms. Riots occurred at Bir- 
mingham, Manchester, Newcastle, and other places. Iq 
Manchester the mob attempted to stop the factories. 
At Birmingham the rioters tried to fire the town. Shop 
after shop was broken into, gutted, and set on fire ; in an 
hour and a (juarter, no less than seventeen houses were 
thus treated, and the loss of property was estimated at 
from £30,000 to £40,000. Several leaders were arrested^ 
and the police and military subsequently dispersed the 
mob. On the 6th of Nov. a chartist insurrection took place 
at Newport, in Wales, headed by Frost the chartist 
magistrate. The rioters to the number of 8,000 took 
possession of the town. A dreadful conflict ensued, by 
which several persons were killed, and others severely 
wounded. Frost, Williams, and Jones, were arrested on 
a charge of high treason, and after long trials, were found 
guilty, and sentenced to death ; afterwards commuted to 



THK S'JEROU^'DING DISTRICT. 465 

1839-40. 

transportation for life- In the beginning- of January in the 
folloAving year, riots occurred at Sheffield, Bradford, and 
Dewsbury. At Bradford, considerable numbers of men 
were furnished with ilre-arms and pikes, and openly 
practised military eA'olutions upon Fairwcather-green. 
After a number of infatuated and imprudent actions, a j)lan 
of insurrection was lormed, which the police were acquaint- 
ed with ; and about two o'clock on the morning of the 
27th of January, IS43, a number of armed men appeared 
in the Green-market, having taken two of the watchmen 
of the town prisoners. A signal was to have been given 
by means of a rocket, for the assembling in the same place 
of various armed parties, who were at the outskirts of the 
town awaitibg the signal. The police, assisted by a few 
special constables, succeeded in capturing sixteen of the 
rioters who were committed to York castle, and most of 
them sentenced at (heeusuingassizcs to various terms of im- 
prisonment. In different parts of the country, no less 
than 232 rioters were convicted of treason and sedition, 
out of 290, committed. At Leeds there was no popular 
outbreak on this occasion. 

1840. January. Mounfjoy, the celebrated pedestrian, per- 
formed the wonderful feat of walking 77 miles a day, for 

six days together 10th. The uniform penny postage 

came into full operation, and double the average number of 
letters were posted at the Leeds post office this day. In 

a few weeks the number had increased fivefold. 25th. 

The heavy rain at this time caused the river Aire [to over- 
flow. A rapid stream flowed down Water-lane, through 
Dock-street, and extended faralong Meadow-lane andHun- 
slet-lane, flooding many houses. 

February, The House of Commons, on the motion of 
Colonel Sibthorp, granted to Prince Albert £30,000 a year. 
B}' this vote the ministers were left in a minority, they 

having proposed £50,000. 7th. George Beecroft, Esq., 

of the Kirk.stall Forge Iron Works died, aged 59 years. 
The deceased was the father of G. S. Beecroft, Esq., one 
of the present members for Leeds, was a man greatly 
respected by his fellow-townsmen, and a member of 

the Town Council for Headingley Avard 10th. Queeu 

Victoria was this day married to Prince Albert. The re- 
joicings in London were unbounded, and throughout 
England, Scotland, and Ireland the event excited unmixed 
gladness and warmth of heart amongst the jjeople. 

13th. Thos. "Walker, Esq., of Killingbeck-hali, near Leeds, 
died, aged 7-i years. 14th. Benjamin Gott, Esq., of 



466 ANNALS OF LEED8, YORK, AND 
1840.— Feb. 

Arniley house, near Leeds, died this day, in the seventy-' 
eighth year of his age, He was born on the 24ih of June,. 
1762, and was the son of a man who, by his energy and 
talents, raised himself to eminence as a civil engineer. 
He Avas educated at Bingley school, and in early life his 
abilities and amiable disposition endeared him to his 
school-fellows and friends. He entered, and afterwards 
became a partner of, the firm of Wormald and Fountaine, 
woollen manufacturers and merchants, which, by the re- 
tirement of the other partners, became eventually the 
establishment alone of Mr. Gott and his Sons. By his 
talent, intelligence, and activity, he realized a large for- 
tune. No one in the West. Riding stood higher as a man 
of business. He possessed large stores of information, a 
vigorous intellect, remarkable decision of character, and a 
fine taste. He also possessed munificent liberality, great 
public spirit, perfect uprightness and independence, and an 
amiable disposition. His death was deepl}'^ and universally 
deplored. In the church dedicated to St. Bartholomew, at 
Armley, there is a beautiful piece of statuary erected in 
memory of the deceased, executed by Joseph Gott, Esq., 
of Rome. It represents the deceased gentleman (life size) 
reclining on a mattrass, in a posture of deep meditation. 
At the basement is the following inscription : — 

"Thi.s monument is erected in memory of Bpnjamiu Gott, Esq , of 
Armlej' house. I^lndo'.ved vvith talents to dignify every relation of 
life, he maintained with inflexible nprightne.'<s the character of a 
merchant 5 with impartial justice, the orlice of a magistrate; and 
with unshalcen confidence, the Avarmth of friendship. Always ready 
to promote tht^ welfare of Leeds, and the advocate of its literary, 
scientific, and charitable institutions, which found in him a juJicious 
adviser, and generous patron. Under the gifts of health and pros- 
perity, and length of days, he exhibited the powers of divine grace in 
the pure benevolence and holy principles by which he sought to shape 
his conduct; and relying for salvation, only on the merits of hi» 
Redeemer, he calmly resigned his soul into the hands of a merciful 
Creator, on the 14th of Feb., 1S40, in the 78th year of his age." 

loth. The Countess of Hare wood died, aged (59 years^ 
20th. The Birmingham borough bank stopped payment. 
There were at this time in England 6S2>^ miles of railway 
completed and in operation. 

April 2Sth. Mr. Duke, the head police ofncerof Hudders- 
field, was murdered by Alexander Maclaughlan Smith. 
Another police-officer named Dawson was seriously- 
wounded hy the murderer. 

May 5th.' A most painful sensation Avas produced io- 
London bv the murder of Lord William Russell, the uucle 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 4G7 

3840.— May. 

of Lord John RusselL He Avas found in bed with his 
throat cur. Courvoisienr, a servant of Russell'g, Avas sub- 
sequenth^ fried and found guilty of wilful murder, and exe- 
cuted after having confessed the crime. Uth. Feargua 

O'Conner, ■ he Chartis^:t leader, was sentenced by the Court of 
Queen's Bench toeightceii months' imprisonment for thepub- 
lication in the J^orthern Star of seditious libelsiiiciting to the 

use of arms. 19th. York Minster was again seriously 

<3amaged b}*- lire, supposed to be caused by the carelessness 
of workmen. The fire Avas first seen in the nrr(h v/cstern 
tower. The nave was entirely stripped of its roof, the belfry 
reduced to a mere shell, and the bells laid below, haviiig 
burst Through the floor in their fall. The damage was esti- 
mated at £30,000. r—^'-'- N. Nicholson, Esq., of P.ound- 

hay Park, shot by mistake Mr. Thompson, gamekeeper to 
Stephen Nicholson, Esq. The gamekeeper was keeping 
watch in front of Mr. Nicholson's house unknown to him, 
and he supposing that an attempt was being made by 
thieves to enter the house, Hred a gun and killed the keeper. 
f?8tl;. The IJcuse of Commons, by a majority of 123, refused 
to consider the question of the corn laws. 

June 9{h. A temperance tea meeting was held in the new 
millof ilslessrs Marshall and Co., IIolbeck,when not less than 

12,600 persons took tea together. 10th. An jittempt was 

made to assassinate the Queen and Prince Albert during a 
<lrive in Hyde Park, by a youth 17 years of age, named 
Edward Oxford. The assassiii deliberately fired xwo 
pistol shots at the royal pair. Happii}', however, they had 

a providential escape. 30th. The North Midland, York 

and North Midland, and the Hull and Selby railv/ays, v/ere 
opened. 

.Juk/ 8th. The Leeds Zoological and Bofanical gardens, 
Headingley, were opened this day. These gardens were 
originated by a company of shareholders, for the laud- 
able object of providing recreation for the people. In 
a pecuniary way the scheme was unsuccessful, and the 
gardens were sold by public auction on the ISrh of Dec, 
1843. John Smith, Esq., banker, was the purchaser, at a 
cost of £6,010. He afterwards sold them to H. C. Mar- 
shall, Esq. The gardens have since been open to the public 
on payment of a small fee for admittance, under the 
management of Mr. Clapham, Avho held them on a lease 

until 1858. "William Reynolds Rothery, rag dealer, 

Hoibeck- lane, Avas taken out of the river Aire with his 
throat cut two inches deep. He was suppo.'jed to have 
been baibarously murdered, but by v>hom was not known. 



468 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1840— July. 

22nd, The Queen Dowager, on a visit to the north, passed 
through Leeds to Harewood house. 

August 5ih. Louis Napoleou, with a handful of followers, 
landed near Boulogne, and raised the standard of revolt. 
He Avas captured, and condemned to perpetual imprison- 
ment in a fortress, and most of his accomplices were sen- 
tenced to various terms of imprisonment. 7th. A dread- 
ful accident took place on the Hull and Selby railway, near 
Howderi, caused, by a piece of iron, the weight of about 
two tons (which was fastened to a truck by ropes), falling 
across the line. Five persons were killed, and several 
others seriously injured. 

Sept. 12th. A duel took place between the Earl of Car- 
digan and Lieut. Tuckett, of the 11th dragoons. 

22nd. The Princess Augusta, aunt to her Majesty and daughter 

of Geo. IIL, died, aged 72 years. 23rd. An explosion of 

fireworks took place in a dwelling-house at Halton, near 
Leeds, by which Doroth}'- Randall and her daughter were 
killed. 

Oct. Fever, of a typhoid character, appeared to a con- 
siderable extent in the neigh])Ourhood of Wortley. 
Leeds Municipal Election Extraordinary. 

January 23r(l. South Watid, wci-Derham, a bankrupt, (John Wil- 
kinson, L. 343,) Jeremiah Scott, C. 280. Feb. 14. Headinglby, 

vice Beecrol't, deceased, (John Prince, C.) • — Feb 19. Bramley 

Ward, vice Moss, a bankrupt, (William Wilson, C ) 

LEEDS MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS, 2nd November, 1840. 
The names in bracket!^ were elected. 

Mill-Hill, [John Howard, C. 242, Radford Potts, C. 240,] Peter 

Fairbairn, L. 213, Joseph Richardson, L. 21 L West, (William 

Dove, C. 525, Adam Hunter, M.D., C. 520,] John Heap.s, R. 426, 

George Wood, R. 415. North- West, [William Whitehead, L. 

321,] William Dinsley Skelton, C. 339. By the rejection of double 
votes, Whitehead was declared duly elected, but Skelton was after- 
wards seated by the court of Queen's Bench. North, [Thos. 

Brumfit, L. 306,] Richard Ripley, C. 288. North- East, 

[Samuel Lawson, C. 514,] John Ayrey, R. 375. East, [Martin 

Cawood, C. 357], Israel Burrows, L. 325. .Kirkgate, [John 

Garland, C. 20/,] J. S. Barlow, L. 198. South, [Robert Baker, 

L. 241,] William Singleton, C. 222. Hunslet, [Richd. Pullan, 

C. 673,] Jo.shua Bower, R. 650. Holbeck, [Jonathan Shackle- 
ton, L. 849, John Forster, L. 849,] Anthony Titley, C. 759, John 

Tempest, C. 759- Bramley, [John Cliff, L. 983, Joseph Winn, 

L. 983,] John Yates, C. 963, John Baiker, C. 963. Hhabing- 

LEY, [John Prince, C. 33.] 

November 9th. William Smith, Esq., was re-elected mayor 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 469 

1840— >sov. 

21st. The princess royal was boru at ten minutes past 
tAvo {).in. 

Dec. 16th. In tlie chancer}' snit so lonji: pending between 
the new and old corporations ol' Leeds, relative to the 
£6,500 three per cents, &c , conveyed to trustees of the 
old corporation, before the passing of the municipal 
corporation ac*", so as to ])revent the new corporation from 
getting the same, the Lord Chancelior delivered judgment 
to the effect that the alienation of the corporate funds was 
a breach of trust and fraudulent ; and directed the defend- 
ants immediately to re-imburse the sums alienated, with 
interest on the same, and to pay the whole of the costs. 
The money having been distributed amongst charitable in- 
stitutions of the town, the defendants had to refund the 
amount out of their own pockets. 

1841. St. Luke's cluirch, North-street, Leeds, was erected 
this year, and was chiefly intended for the use of the 
soldiers at the barracks. It is a plain but neat structure 
of stone, erected from designs by Messrs. Perkin and 
Backhouse. In 1857 the church was enriched by a stained 
glass window, A\hich consists of three early English 
lancet lights, the centre one containing medallions of the 
Crucifixion and the Ascension, on rich mosaic and geome- 
tric patterns: the north light contains a full length figure 
of St. Luke in a panel interwoven with the geometrical 
design ; the south light contains a figure of St. Paul ; around 
all the lights rich foliated borders run, with other rich 
decorations ; the design and execution of the window is 
in a high style of art. The Rev. C H. Collier is the in- 
cumbent 

According to the census returns of this year, the popu- 
lation of the borough of Leeds was 152,054. In the Leeds 
township the number of males was 42,660 — females 46,081. 
In the out-townships, males, 31,105 — and females, 32.208. 

Jan. 7th. The river Aire, and other rivers in Yorkshire 
were partially frozen over. 

July 1st. A series of defeats in the house of commons 
caused the whitr ministry to retire, and parliament was 
dissolved on the 22nd of June. A general election ensued. 
At Leeds Mr. Baines annouticed his intention of retiring 
from parliamentary life. TheliberalsbroughtoutMr. William 
Aldam, jnnr., a young barrister, a native of Leeds, and 
Mr. Joseph Hume, the veteran reformer. The conservatives 
brought out Mr. AVilliam Beckett, the banker, and Lord 
Jocelyn. The election took place on the 1st of July, and 

40 



470 ANNALS OF LEP:DS, YORK, AND 

1841— July. 

after a severe contest, a candidate of each party was 

returned — the numbers at the close of the poll being : — 

Mr. Beckett, (T) 2,076. 

Mr. Aldam, (W) 2,043. 

Mr. Hume, (W) 2,033. 

Lord Jocelyn (T) 1,926. 

The disappointment of the liberal party at the loss of 
Mr. Hume's election, was exceedingly great, as that 
gentleman was the most popular of all the candidates. 
To the great disgrace of the parties concerned, a coffin 
was carried in front of the hustiiigs, on the declaration of 
the poll, v\hich M^as openly proclaimed to be a coffin in 
which Mr Hume was to be buried. 

12th. The West Riding election resulted in the return of 
two conservatives. 'ilie Hon. John Stuart Wortley and 
IMr. Edmund Denison were brought out by the conserva- 
tives, and Lord IMilton and Lord Morpeth by the liberals, 
and although the two latter received the largest show of 
hands at the nomination, they suffered a defeat on the 
poll. The numbers were : 

Hon.J.S. Worthy, (T) 13,165. 

Mr. Denison, (T) 12,780. 

Lord Milton, (W) 12,080. 

Lord Morpeth, (W) 12.031. 

July 4th. Mr. William Dawson, of Springfield terrace, Bur- 
mantofts, Leeds, and late of Barnbow, a celebrated local 
preacher amongst the AVesleyans, died, aged 68 years. He 
was born on the 30th of March, 1773, at Gartorth, near 
Leeds, and was the eldest child of Luke and Ann Dawson. 
His father was a small farmer, and colliery steward to 
Sir Thomas Gascoigne. He was blest with a pious mother 
from whom he received his first religious impressions. 
From his earliest youth up to the age of twenty, he 
regularly attended the church at Berwick-in-Elmet, and 
although he for some time continued to attend the services 
of the church, he gradually got in v/ith the Wesleyans 
until at length he became a local preacher amongst them. 
At the beginning of the 19th century he had fairly entered 
upon his work of preaching. In addition to his arduous 
secular avocations as a farmer, he was most laborious in 
performing his religious duties. It was not unusual for 
him to be sowing seed, stacking corn, c]ij)ping sheep, &c. 
on the same day that he was opening a chapel and attend- 
ing missionary meetings. He neither permitted his farm, 
the vineyard of the Lord, "nor himself to be fallow and 



THE SUKROOA'DING DJSTHICT. 471 

1841 — July 

untilled," but laboured hard in each. lie was entered on 
the "We.slcyan plan ior the year ISOl. From Ihc lirst he 
was an attractive preacher, aiid in much rec[uisi(ion both 
at Leeds and other places in Yorkshire. He preached in 
1S25 the opening services of Brunswick chaj)el, Leeds. 
The anxiety to g-ain the services of Mr. Dawson became 
very great, wherever he j)reachcd the jilaces of worship 
were crowded to excess, so that at times iie had to preach 
in the open air so as to accommodate those who could not 
gain access to the chapels. In Februaiy 1838 a project 
was started in Brunswick chapel for raising by voluntary 
subscriptions an annuity for Mr. Dawson, so that he might 
devote the whole of his time to the Wesleyan rnihsions: 
ultimately £'2,000 was raised, with which, an annuity of 
£150 and £30 (o his brother in case he should survive, was 
provided, the condition being that he was to devote six 
months of the year to the missionary cause, leaving. him 
to employ the other six as he might think fit. He then 
gave up his farm and came to reside at (5, Springfield 
terrace, Burraantofts. On the 30tli of March, iS40, he 
left Leeds for Liverpool, and set sail for Ireland on April 
1st, to exercise his missionar}'^ labours. On his return lie 
travelled very much in the south of England, but wj;s not 
permitted much longer to prosecute his religious work. 
On the 3rd of Jul3\ 1841, he left Leeds for Colne in Lan- 
cashire, where he died very suddenly about two o'clock on 
the following morning, in the {i9fh year of his age. As a 
preacherheA\ as most impressive," eccentric in a high degree, 
but when he preached, strong convulsions rocked alike the 
pulpit and the pew. A wonderful variety of cadences ; alter- 
nately rolling with the thunder and flashing with the liglit- 
ning ; exhibiting the lion and the lamb in the same dis- 
course." In the year 1854 a very neat tablet in memory of 
the deceased, erected by Mr. Dennis Lee, v/as placed in 
St. Peter's Wesleyan chapel, Leeds, bearing the following 
inscription : — 

"This monument i.s erectetl as a testimony of grateful affection to 
the memory of Mr. William Da^v.son, who fell aslsej) in Jesns, July 
4th, 1841, aged sixty-eight yeans. From a;i early period of life, when 
lie found the pearl of great price, he pursued a consistent and ex- 
emplary course of Christian godline.-s As a jireacher of the go.spel 
he was eminently di.viingui>bed by the author of every good gift; hi.s 
sermons were most humorou.s and impres.sive, richly friught with pure 
evang lical truth, abounding with vivid and .striking illustrations, and 
pointed with extraordinary force and effect to the hearts and con- 
sciences of his hearers. As an advocate of Christian missions, and of 
other enterprises of religion and charity, he was singularly zealous, 



472 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1841. —July. 

able, an'! successfal. He was a generous and faithful friend, happy ia 
all his social intercourse, and remarkable for his kindlj attentions to 
the young. He continued to prosecute his indefatigable labours, not- 
withstanding the rapid advance of age, until he passed suddenly but 
in peaceful confidence, to his rest I He expired at Colne, in the county 
of Lancaster, and was interred at Barwiclc in Elinet." " Not I, but 
the grace of God." 

5th. An appalling accident occurred at Masbro', near 
Rotherham, by the upsetting' of a vessel belonging to Mr. 
Chambers, during the process of launching. One hundred 
persons were precipitated into the water; sixty-four of 
whom lost their lives. 

August. Trade was very bad at Manchester and Paisley. 
At the latter place five and twenty firms failed in two or 
three days. Indeed throughout the country the trading 
classes suffered most severely. Corn had risen in six 
weeks from 63s. 5d., to 68^. 2d., and was still rising fast. 

28th. Her majesty's ministers were defeated by a majority 
of 3jU to 239. The cabinet on the same. day resigned, and 
was succeeded by a ministry with Sir Robert Peel as first 
Lord of the Treasury. 

Sept. 2nd. Leed> Parish Chl'RCS. — The solemn and im- 
posing ceremony of re- opening and consecrating the 
church of St. Peter, sifuate in Kirkgate, which had been 
rebuilt by the voluntary contributions of the inh:^bitants at 
a cost of ^29,770 Gs. S'd., took place on Thursday the 2nd 
of September, in the presence of the archbi-^hop of York, 
the bishop of Ripon, the bishops of Ross and Argyll, and 
New Jersey, as well as hundreds of dignitaries and other 
clergy from every diocese in England, and several thou- 
sands of every rank, age, and calling, among the laity 
forming altogether a scene of unusual splendour and sol- 
emnity. When Dr. Hook, the late vicar was appointed to 
the living of (he church, the attendance on the 
services so much increased, that it became a matter of 
necessity to provide more accomodation for public worship. 
The pulling down of the old fabric commenced the week 
after Ash-Wednesday, TSiiS; from which time the par- 
ochial service was (ransferred to St. .John's church. The 
whole of the church was taken down and re-built, with 
the excepfion of a portion of the south wall. The )iresent 
edifice Im built as nearly as jiossible on the site of the old 
one, and is a monument to the skill of the architect, R D. 
Chantrell E.«<q., as well as to the liberality of the town. 
The style is that of the latter part of the i4th century, a 
transition from the decorated to the perpendicular, con- 



THE !SURK0UND1:NG DIHTUICT. 473 

1841.— Sept. 

taiiiing a variety of form and inferest, and producing a 
strong: contrast with the dull massiveness of tlse former 
structure. The church is 180 feet 7 inches loni^, by 88 wide ; 
and liie height of tl^.e tower 139 feet. A new south porch 
was erected, the south transept extended twelve feet, 
the chancel extended eastward to the site of the old vestry, 
and se[arate entrances contrived to the new vestry and 
robinof rooms for the clergy and choristers. Over the door 
at the end of the north transept, rises the noble tower of 
the church, a rich and elegant object, greatly exceeding 
both in height and beauty of style that of the old church. 
The tower contains a new peal of remarkably powerful 
and sweet-toned bells, thirteen in number. The weight of 
the tenor bell is 35 cwt. 1 qr. 9 lbs., and the weight of the 
entire peal is 162 cwt. The bells were cast by Messrs. 
Mears and Sons, London, from designs by "W. Gawk- 
roger of Leeds. On entering the church, through the 
deeply recessed north doorway, (its inner porch forming a 
rich canopied arch, terminated with an old statue of St. 
Peter, and having the anglesbuttressed and pinnacled, — its 
loftj' and in part groined roof, supported on an arcade of 
eight pillars and arches on each side,) the eye rests upon 
a screen of richly carved oak, separating the opposite tran- 
sept from (he nave : within this screen the organ is placed, 
but no })art is open to the view It stands upon the floor 
of the church, and rises within the transejjt considerably 
above the level of the galleries, the pinnacles and other 
carved work of the screen surmounting the whole, and 
producing a line effect. The organ is nearly new. The 
whole of the chests, bellows, four composition pedals, &c., 
are entirely }]ew, and also the exterior handsome case. 
It consists of about 2,070 pipes, of wh'ch 1,212 belong to 
the great organ, 336 to the swell, and 522 to the choir. 
This noble instrument was re-opened by Dr. Samuel Sebas- 
tian Wesley. Mr. R. S. Burton is the present organist 
and choir master. • 

The first organ was built by Mr. Price, of Bristol, in I7i4. A few 
years after the swell wa.s added, the scale of which was from G to F 
in alt. In 1815 the organ was nearly renewed by the late Mr. Green 
wood, and was for some years afterwards considered one of the sweetest 
in Yorkshire. It was, however, so injured by incompetent persons 
about the year 1827 t-hat its original sweetne.ss and brilliancy were 
entirely destroyed, and at least ha!f its power was taken away. The 
injured pipes were either restored to their original power and brilliancy, 
or replaced by iiew ones. 

The choir of the church was organized by the late vicar, 



474 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 
1841.--SEPT. 

and is second to none. The full cathedral service is perhaps 
more beautifully and impressively performed here than in 
the metropolitan church of Canterbury itself. The late 
Mrs. Carr, of Knostrop, left the sum of £4,000 to be in- 
vested in government securities, the interest of which is 
applied in apprenticing out boys vv^ho may have sung in 
the Leeds parish church choir. The chancel is approached 
by seven steps, and the low open screen- work at the altar 
is of stone, and has a very light and elegant appearance. 
The altar, which stands from the wall, has a covering of 
royal purple velvet, on the middle of which is a richly em- 
broidered monogram, the gift of her late majesty the Queen 
Dowager. The commandment tables are also of stone, 
richly enshrined, having the letters of the 14th century 
rubricated. In the centre is a carved stone frame, in 
which is a line picture, of the school ofCorreggio, represent- 
ing Christ's Agony in the garden, presented by the Rev. 
Isaac Spencer of York. The grand east window is adorned 
with rich stained glass, representing the Crucifixion, the 
Virgin, St. John the Evangelist, St. Matthew, St. Barthol- 
omew, St Peter,' &c. The windows of the altar recesses 
are also of stained glass, as well as the north and south- 
east windows. The three former were presented by Thos. 
Blayds, Esq. The ancient cover of the piscina of the 14th 
century is placed in the south-east wall of the chancel, 
and is converted into a monument to Thoresby, the anti- 
quary ; and in the north-east corner of the chancel is a 
monument to the memory rf the Rev. Richard Fawcett, 
M.A., late vicar of Leeds. Thelettern, whence the lessons 
are read, is of wood, in the form of an eagle, with out- 
spread wings, and stands at the south side of the choir. 
The communion service is ofsilver gilt. Against the south- 
east pillar of the nave is placed the pulpit, which is of 
wood, elaborately carved in subjects, viz., the Annunciation, 
the adoration of the Shepherds, and the baptism of our 
Saviour. The galleries are supported by small iron pillars, 
placed behind, and independent of the stone pillars which 
support the clerestories and roof. The front of the galleries 
is richly carved, so as to resemble the tabernacle work 
over the stalls of a cathedral. The pews were allotted to 
former owners, and the whole of the ground floor is free. 
The seats have stall ends and no doors. Stalls are pro- 
vided for the clergy, the choristers, and the corporation. 
Altogether there are 3,000 sittings, 1,800 of which are 
free. The great west window is also richly adorned with 
stained glass, containing the arms of the bishop of the 



THE SORRODNDING DISTRICT. 475 

1841.— Sept. 

diocese, the Rev. R. Fawcett, M.A., late vicar, and the 
patrons of the living. The south-v/est windovr contains the 
arms of the borough, and those of the Rev. Peter Iladdon, 
M.A , formerly vicar of the parish. There are several 
beautiful aiid costly monuments erected in the church, but 
it is unnecessary here to enumerate them, as they are de- 
scribed in other parts of this Avork. The vicarage is 
valued at £1300 per annum. During the rebuilding of the 
church an accident occurred by the scafFolding of the 
tower giving ^vay, by which a workman named South- 

eran was killed. In 10S9 the advovrson of the 

parish church was given by Ralph Paganel to the 
priory of the Holy Trinity at York. Owing to contentions 
between the incumbents and the patrons, respecting the 
appropriation of tithes, Walter Gray, archbishop of York, 
put an cud to the controversy by the ordination of a vicar- 
age in the church. The priory of the Holy Trinity was 
dissolved ad. 1538 by the prior and the priests. The ad- 
vowson Avas then granted by letters patent to Thomas 
Culpepper, Esq. ; his son Alexander disposed of it to Row- 
land Cowick of London ; he in the 5th of Elizabeth passed 
it to Thomas Preston ; he eleven years afterwards sold it to 
Edmund Darnley of London, haberdasher. Oliver Darnley 
sold it for £130 to the parishioners, and the gift is nov.- in 
the hands of twenty-five trustees. The first protestaut 
vicar of Leeds Avas Alexander Fascet, or Fawcett. 
Robert Cooke, a native of Kirk Beeston, in this parish, a 
powerful disputant and a most acute and learned critic, 
was the first after Fascet. After his death in 16 14, some 
difficulty occurred relative to the advowson, which v.-as de- 
cided by Lord Bacon, who arranged the number and the 
names of the electing trustees, and under whose patron- 
age Alexander Cooke, the brother of the preceding clergy- 
man, was inducted to the living. He died in 1G32 and 
was succeeded by Henry Robinson, the son of Mr. 
Alexander Robinson merchant of Leeds, and Grace, the 
sister of the celebrated Harrison. Peter Saxton was 
the next vicar, and he was succeeded by William Styles. 
Dr. John Lake, afterwards bishop of Chichester, succeeded 
after the restoration, and after his translatioti, the foUow- 
inar clergymeii followed MarmadukeCook, D.D, v/ho died 
16S4— John Miluer, A.B. resigned 1GS9— John Killingbeck, 
B.D., another native of the parish, who died 1716 — Joseph 
Cookson, also a native of Leeds, and previously lecturer, 
who died 1745 — Samuel Kershaw, A M. followed in the 
vicarage, and died 1786 — Peter Haddon, A.M. the only 



ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 



476 

1841.— Sept. 

person who since the purchase of the advowson had been, 
vicar of Leeds, who was not a native of tlie West-Riding 
of Yorkshire, died 18! 5— and was succeeded b}'- Richard 
Fawcetr, A.BI., he died 1837, and was succeeded by W. 
F. Hook, D.D. who on being- appointed dean of Chichester, 
in 1859, was succeeded by James Atlay, D.D. 
Tlio following^ is a list of the vicars : — 



1242 Alanus de Shirburn 
1250 Johanties de Feversbam 
1281 Galfridres de Sponden 
1316 Gildburtus Gaydibus 
1320 Alan de Berevvick 

Winiam Bru:abj 
1392 W. Mirfield 
1394 Johannes Snagtall 
1408 Rob. Paselow 

Rob. Newton 
1418 Win. Saxton 
1424 Johanues Herbert 

Jacobus Bagullj 
1430 Thos. Clarel 
1470 Wm. Evre 
1482 Johannes del gratis^ Ross- 
ensis Episcopus 

1499 Martomw Coilimis Deer. Dr 

1500 Rob. Wranwast, B.A. 
1508 Wm. Evre 

Johannes Thomson 



1556 Chr. Bradley 

1559 Alex Fascet 

1590 Rob. Cooke 

16141 Alex. Cooke, Archiep. per 

1615] laps. 

1632 Henric Robinson 

1646 Peter Saxton 

1652 Wm. Styles 

1661 Johannes Lake, D.D. 

1663 Marmadnke Cooke, D.D. 

1677 Johannes Milner, A.B. 

1690 Johannes Killingbeck, B.D 

1715 Jo>eplius Cookson, M.A. 

1746 Samuel Kirshaw, D.D. 

1786 Peter Haddon, M.A. 

1815 Richard Fawcett, A.M. 

18.37 W. F. Hook, D D. 

1859 James Atlay, D.D. 



Johannes Thornton ii 

As a conclusion to this sketch it v\ ill be interestinpr to 
give Thoresby'a very pleasing account of the old church. 

" The parish church (which is dedicated to St. Peter) is a very 
spacious and strong fabrick, an emblem of the church militant, black, 
but cornel}', being of great antiquity ; it doth not pretend to the mode 
of reformed architecture, but is strong and useful. That there was a 
church here during the Saxon heptarchy, when the king.s of Northum- 
berland had their palace here, is more than probable ; but 'tis indis- 
putable, that in William the Conqueror's time there was, above 600 
years ago, for that Domesday Book (which I had the perusal of, by 
the lavotir of my honour'd and kind friend Peter leNeve, Esq. Norroy 
King at Arms) says expressly ibz est ecclesia et presbiter, fyc. and 
some parts of the present church may be said to be of that antiquity, 
but it was so far from being built with that exhibition, that Sardan- 
apulns (son of Pull King of Assyria, thence called Sardan-Pull) built 
his cities, two of which his epitaph says he built in one day-, that it is 
evidently the work of ages, which have added both to its length, 
breadth, and height. The fabrick of this church is plain, but ven- 
erable; the walls wholly of free-stone, the roof entirely cover'd with 



THK SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 477 

1841.— Srpt. 

lead, except that part of the quire onlr that beloag-s to the improp- 
riator. It is built after thf manner of a cathedral, with a larire cro^.s 
isle, and the steeple or to'.ver in the mi Idle of it. The di invasions of* 
the church are, It-ngth 165 foot, breadth 9/ ; height of ti)e nave of 
the church, 51, and of the steeple 96. Th'^ steeple is a square to ver, 
without spire, built rather for sti-en^th than heauty, and contains eight 
large bells (besides the Tin^innabulum) which ring in peal, and vvhere- 
with may be rung 40.320 chinge.s, and which chime day and night, at 
4, 8, and 1-2; but \rhat is most surprising, to strangers, is the spa- 
ciousne.«s of th^' quire or chancel, which is within the walls as much 
above 88 foot one way, as it wants of 60 the other. And to add one 
word more, this is monthly fill'd tor the most part, twice round with 
devout communicants, one o'' the most blessed prospects this world 
afifords, besides much greater numbers \)pon publick festivals. The 
roof of the ch-;rch is supported by three rows of solid pillars of the 
gothic order. In the nave of the church ar^ four isles, that run from 
the cross isle to the west end, where is a stately font; 'tis <ri!t and 
painted,, and stands upon an ascent of three stefis, snrround-d with 
rails and banisters. The body of the church is very well pewed with 
English oak, and regular till of late years, that some seits are ad- 
"vanced at the west end, and more remote pirts, for perso.i.s of dis- 
tinction not before provided for ; those for the mayor, aldermen, and 
the vicar, are raised at the east end; and under the north wail, that 
for the master and mistre.ss of the charity school, vs'ith 40 poor boys 
and girls decently clad in blue. Upon the north and east are spaciou.s 
galleries of wainscot, wrought with variety of work, dirpctly opposite 
to the pu:pit, which is adorned with a black velvet cloth and gold 
fringe, are the town's arms, betwixt two ijiit maces in relievo. At 
the meeting of the great middle isle with the large cro.ss isle, the 
steeple is founded upon four prodigiously large pillars and arches; the 
north cross isle i< called the Queen's, the south seems to have been 
the chapel of St. Katharine's, where the place for holy- water is yet 
to be seen. And against one of these pillars stood the pulpit in days of 
yore, when there were no seats in the nave of the churcdi ; for before 
the ipformation there were no pews or different apartments allowed, 
but the whole borly of the church was common, and the as.seinbly pro- 
miscuous or intermixed, in the more becoming postures of kneeling 
or standing. The chief glory of this church is, that upon the Lord's 
day it is generally filled with a vastly' great and attenciv-^ congrega- 
tion, which is the most comfortablr* sight, a pious christian can behold ; 
though on the other hand it must be acknowledged, that the thinrjess 
of the auditory upon the week-days constant prayers, and occasional 
sermons, bodes ill, and ought to be resented with the deepest concern." 

On Monday September 28tb, the Lord Bishop of Ripon 
conse( r ited a large piece of ground, a ttached to Hill House 
Bank National School, in East-street, Leeds, as a church 
of England cemetery. 

Oct. 13th. A most interesting series of meefings were 
held at this time, to celebrate the opening of the New 



478 ANNALS OF LEEDH, YORK, AND 

1841— Oct. 

Hall of the Leeds Mechanics' Institution, South Parade. 

In June of the following- year, the Mechanic;^' Institution 

amalgamated with the Literary sociefy. Oct. From the 

report of the ' Operative Enumeration Committee' on the 
condition of the poor in the borough of Leeds ; it appeared 
that out of 4.752 families examined, consisting of 19,938 
individuals, 3,789 were in work, and 16,156 were out of 
work; the average earnings per head being lld^. weekly 
for each individuah 

Leeds Municipal Election Extraordinary. 

March 8th. Mill- Hill Ward, [J. G. Uppleby.] 

LEEDS MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS, 1st November, 184L 
The names in brackets were elected. " 

Mill-Hill, [Edwin Birchall, L. 3/6, William Smith, L. 375,] 

WilUam Hey, C. 3/4, John Atkinson, C. 3/3 West,[ William 

Kelsall, L. 674, Peter Fairbairn, L. 673,] Christopher Dove, C. 601^ 
Henry Chorley, C. 599. P. Fairbairu afterwards resigned. 

North-West, [William Whitehead, L. 4^1,] Ralph Markland, 

C. 350. North, [John Holmes, L. 45'),] S. B. Hargreave, C, 

371 North- East, [Jas. DuCton. R. 593,] Beniamin Holroyd, 

C. 586 East, [J. R. Atkinson, C] Kirkgatk, [J. S. 

Barlow, L. 254,] Thos. England, C. ^53 South, [Jonathan 

Dickinson, L] Hunslet, [Jo>^hua Bower, R. 716,] Joseph 

Beckett, C 560 Holbeck, [Matthew Hall, L. 8/4, H. C. 

Marshal!, L. ^73,] John Tempest jun. C. 603, Anthony Titley, C. 
602 Bramlkv, [John Barker, C, and Wrn. Wainman, C.] 

Hkadixgley, [Thomas Bntler, C] 

Nov. 9th. Mayor:— William Pavvson. 

The following gentlemen M^ere ajjpointed aldermen : — 

Oct. 29th, Henry Hall. Nov. 9th, George Goodman, Hamer 
Stansfeld, I Thos. Wrn. Tottie, William Pawson, Thomas Benson 
Pease, Darnton Lupton, John Darnton Luccock, and John Jackson. 

Nov. 9th. Prince of Wales bom at 48 minutes ])ast 10, 

a.m. 22nd. An explosion of fire damp took place in 

Mount Osliorne pit, Barnsley, by which fifteen persons 

lost their lives. 22iid. The friends and constituents of 

the late Mr. Baincs, publicly presented to him at the Music 
hall, a splendid and lasting testimonial of their esteem oa 
his retirement from parliamentary liie. Mr. Tottie presided. 
The testimonial consisted of a very handsome silver service. 
The following is the description published by the com- 
mittee : — 

" The present consists of a Candelabrum or centre piece for the 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 47Q 

1841. —Nov. *'^ 

diniug table 31 inches hi-h, and four silver covered dishes richlv 
ornamented e?i sui/e, weighing together 5^5 ounces. From the base 
ot the Candelabrum, which is triangular, pvesenting three faces or 
tablets, rise, a group of palm trees, from the foliage of which spring 
SIX branches to hold lights. These are surmounted bv a hiffhlv 
wroneht bow . wnth n >,r,rrio,. ^P ^,,1, i„„ 1 „;, "'S'"> 



^^. ..w... „»tu a uviu^i lu oaK leaves and acorns. Three figures 

representing Truth, Liberty, and Justice, very beautifully executed in 
Irosted silver, occupy the three corners of the base, and give an ex- 
treinely chaste and elegant finish to the design. On one of the tablets 
IS a well-executed landscape in bas relief, with emblems of agriculture 
in the forpgroun.], and a railroad in the distance. The '.ecSnd is oc 



.„ -yy-- o— , "-^ ci la.uuau iii me uisuance, Tiie second is oc- 
TZil^'y'''''^^'^''f (Identified wit^li the Mercury by a caducous,) 
Pn W P ' n-oolsacks, bales of cloth, and other appropriate 

emblems of commerce an<l manufactures. I'he remainin,. tablet bears 
the following inscription :_- Presented to Edward Baines Esq. by his 
triends and fello-v-townsmen, in admiration of the integiitvr zeal and 
ability with which he has advocated the principles of civil a^ndehgio- 
their gratitude for his important services as the faithful and indefati- 
gable representatiyp of the borough of Leeds in three successive 
parliaments. Leeds, November, 1841." ^ucce.sne 

^;'^J^^.Th^ Ea^-l of Harewood, Lord-lieutenant of the 
^^ est-Kidmg of 1 orkshire, dropped down dead, whilst re- 
turning: irom the chase. The deceased Earl was in his 
fn l-Q^^'^'^i !.^^'"if ' Christmas day, 1707. He married 
i«,V /' ^o^'^J^^' l^^^'^ daughter of Lieut. Gen. Sir John 
teaunders Sebright, Bart., who died in 1848, and by whom 
he had a large family. He was succeeded by his eldes^ 
surviving son Henry. 25th. Sir Francis Chantrey the 

^^u, '::l^'su^h:'''' '' ''-'''■ ^^ ^^-^^ ^ -^--^ 

Dec. 1st. George Birkbeck, M.D. anatural philosopher and 
prac-ica]philanthrop.st,diedaged64. HewasbornltSettle 
in 1 orkshire, in 1776. He displayed an early predilec-' 
tion for mechanical and scientific subjects, commenced the 
study of medicine, in 1799 began to lecture as professor in 
the Andersonian institution, Glasgow; opened a course of 
scientiuc nistruction for persons engaged in the practical 
exercises of the mechanical arts, which became very popu- 
lar ; m ISOb settled in London, and soon obtained a 4od 
practice as a physician ; in 1820 gave a gratuitous coiirse 
ol lectures at the London institution, laboured to promote 
popular education among un-instructed adults and youths 
took a leading jiart in the foundation of the London Me-' 
chanics institution, of which he w^as elected president 
and held the office until his death. On the 20th of Feb 
1824, he delivered an inaugural address, on the opening of 



480 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YOUK, AND 

1841— Dec. 

the insfitu!ian, ITis studies and services on behalf of 
human improvement ceased only with his useful and be- 
nevolent life. 

13th. A public meetinpf of deputies from the trades of 
the West-Eidiug \vas held at Leed.^^. It was shown beyond 
dou])tby several speakers Ihat a vastamount of distress pre- 
vailed throughout the country. The average prices of grain 
per quarfer for the year IS41, were: — v/heat, G4s. 5d. ; 
barley, 33:-f. ; oats, 22.s. 5d.; beans, 393. Id.; peas, 40s. 5d. 

1842. The second commission of justices of the peace for 
the borough of Leeds, (see lSo7) was renewed. The 
following gentlemen were alsoplaced on thecommission : — 

Joseph Robert Atkinson, Richard Bramley, Henry Hall, Ralph 
MarkLuid, William Gilyard Scarth, Anthony Titley, John Gylby 
Uppleby, John Wilson and Griffith Wright. 

During the months of January, February, and March, 
about 4,000 families, comprising upwards of 16,000 individ- 
uals were on the books of the Leeds workhouse, as re- 
ceiving parochial aid, in addition to which 10,000 persons 
had been recipients from the relief fund of £7,000, raised 
by voluntary subscriptions. The Baptist chapel, North- 
street, Leeds, was erected this year. It is a plain brick 
structure, and will accomodate about 1200 hearers. 

The report of the commissioners on the employment and 
condition of children in coal mines, published this year 
showed a revolting system of early slavery. It was shown 
that children of both sexes were employed indiscriminately 
at the earliest ages, even at three years of age ; that men 
worked quite naked, and that adolescent females were 
employed in the same alleys, and even in the same places ; 
that many of the places of work were of the worst de- 
scription, both as to ventilation and humidity; that in 
Scotland, the labour to which females were subjected was 
beyond any slavery eyer heard of; that the system of ap- 
prenticeship adopted with regard to the dependent and 
friendless children in workhouses, was dishonest and de- 
grading. This state of things caused the Legislature to 
prohibit the employment of women and girls in mines and 
collieries, and to regulate the employment of boys, and 
make provisions for the safety of persons working therein. 

The Chimney Sweeeper's act came into operation on the 
1st of July, this year, b}'" which it was enacted, " that any 
person who shall compel or knowingly allow any child or 
young person, under the age of twenty-one years, to ascend 
or descend a chimney, or enter a flue for the purpose of 
sweeping, cleansing, or coring the same, or for extinguish- 
ing Are therein, shall be liable to a penalty of not more 
than £10, or less than £5.'* 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 481 

1842.— Jan. 

January. Joseph and Samnel Clongh, t"vvins, born at 
Pudsey on the 28th of June, 1821 ; were christened to- 
gether at the parish church at Leeds, they each took the 
same ilbiess, and died at the same time, early this year. 

From documents published at this time, it appeared that 
there ^Yere in the township of Leeds 7304 individuals 
living on an income of Is. Tgd. per week each. A Relief 
Fund was speedily raised by a number of benevolent 
gentlemen, which proved to be very useful in mitigating the 
sufferings of the poor. 

March 30th. A large and influential meeting of electors 
was held at the Leeds Music-hall, on the subject of the 
proposed Income Tax, when resolutions were passed strongly 
condemning the tax. 31st. The election of church- 
wardens for Leeds resulted in the return of all working men, 
said to be Chartists. 

April. iS'ews arrived from India of the massacre and 
dreadful disasters of the British army at Cabool. It was 
estimated that 100 British ofiicers and 5, 000 to 6,000 soldiers, 
with an equal number of camp followers fell victims either 
to the inclemency of the season, or to the sword of the enemy. 

25th. Mr. Robert Baker, of Leeds, gave evidence before 
a select committee of the house of commons, which was 
confirmed by the vicar's churchwarden ; showing the number 
of graves in the three parochial burial grounds belonging to 
the churches of St. Peter and St. Mary, in the township of 
Leeds to be 9,600, as follows : — 

Measurement. No. of Graves. 

St. Peter's church yard, __ __ la. Or. 18p. __ __ ],978. 

„ new burial ground, __ 2 12 __ __ 3,689. 

St. Mary's burial ground, __ __ 2 34 __ __ 3,933. 



1 24 9,600. 



In these graves he stated that there had been interred 
142,293 corpses. In July following an act was obtained 
empowering the town council to provide a new burial ground, 
and with the consent of the Bishop of Ripon to close the old 
parish places of interment. The new ground provided by 
the town council at Burmantofts, was opened in August, 
1845, for the burial of the dead, but owing to a dispute 
respecting the fees to be paid to the vicar and the clerk in 
orders but few interments took place therein, and the old 
grounds continued to be used until the 30th of November, 

41 



482 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

] 842.— May. 

1847, when the bishop of the diocese on the recommendation 

of the vicar, consented to the closing of those places. 

May 3rd. The great chartist petition, said to have con- 
tainecl the signatures of 3,315,752 persons, (of which Leeds 
contributed 41,000) was presented to the house of commons. 
The commons by a majority of 238 decided that the petition- 
ers should not be heard at the bar of the house to prove the 

allegations of their petition. 4th. The Leeds town 

council resolved to erect a borough gaol. 5th. A great 

part of the city of Hamburg was destroyed by fire, which 
raged from Wednesday till the Sunday following, and de- 
stroyed about 1,500 houses. The property destroyed was 

estimated at £7,000,000 sterling.— 7th. The island of 

St. Domingo was visited by an earthquake. JSTearly 20,000 
persons perished in the convulsion. The town of Cape Hay- 
tien entirely disappeared, and with it 10,000 of its inhabit- 
ants. 11th. The Queen directed a letter to be read in 

Jill churches and chapels, on the subject of the general distress 
which was to be followed up by collections the v/eek after, 
at the dwellings of the parishioners by the churchwardens 

and overseers. 30th. A person named John Francis 

attempted by firing a pistol to assassinate the Queen. He 
was subsequentljT- found guilty of high treason. His life was 
spared by her majesty, and on the very da,y on which this 
bscrxme known (in July) another attempt was made on the 
life of the Queen by a man named John Yf m. Bean. 

31st. The Income Tax passsed the house of conimons by a 
large majority. 

June 29th. An important meeting of the shopkeepers and 
tradesmen of Leeds, was held in the Court-house "to enable 
them publicly to make known the unparalleld distress which 
prevailed in the borough, and the gradual decay of trade 
consequent thereon ; and to adopt such measures relative 
thereto as might be deemed advisable, regardless of all party 
considerations, v/ith a view to avert impending ruin. " 

July 12th. The Leeds Improvement bill, and the Leeds 
Burial G-round bill x:>assed the house of commons. The town 
council by the former act received very extensive powers to 
mo,k8 improvements, to remove nuisances, and to borrow 
money, &c. 

August. Prince George of Cambridge was in Leeds at this 
period, as Colonel of the 17th Lancers. The Manu- 
facturers' Relief committee in London sent £500 to the com- 
mittee for the relief of the poor in Leeds. 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 483 

1842.— Aug. 

August I7tli. — Chaktist Riots and Plug-drawing: — 
Duriug this year trade of every kind was very much depressed, 
and there v>'as in consequence a severe and wide spread 
distress amongst the people. In the middle of August it had 
arrived at its height. In Carlisle a fourth part of the popu- 
lation was dying of famine. In Stockport half the master 
spinners had failed, and 5,000 workmen were walking the 
streets in compulsory distress. In Lancashire the distress 
was enormous, and the evil was aggra,va.ted by a general 
turn-out in several brandies of trade. In the principal 
towns of the West-Riding the working classes had to endure 
many privations. At Leeds the pauper stone heap amounted 
to one hundi'ed. and fifty thousand tons, and the gaiardians 
ofiered the paupers 6s. per week for doing nothing, rather 
than 7s. 6d. per week for stone-breaking. The poor rates in 
Leeds had increased 50 per cent. The misery of the working- 
classes made them turbulent and dissatisfied. Formidable 
chartist riots broke out in Lancashire and Yorkshire. The 
riots are said to have first commenced at Staly-bridge. 
The power-loom v^eavers of that to^^ai who were unemployed, 
or on the strike, compelled all other branches of trade in the 
town and neighlDourhood to follow their example. Most of 
the principal to^vns in Lancashire caught the contagion. In 
Manchester above 150 cotton mills, besides an equal number 
belonging to other trades in which were usually employed 
50,000 hands were forced to stop v/ork. The rioters in a 
many co.ses destroyed valuable machinery. By the middle 
of August the insurrection had spread into Yorkshire. 
Holmfirth, Dewsbury, Huddersfield, Halifax, Bradford, 
Leeds, and other towns were the scenes of riotous proceed- 
ings. On the morning of the 17th, the greatest excitement 
prevailed in Leeds from a report that a vast number of 
rioters were on the road from Bradford. The town of Leeds 
was well organized with troops, and a large number of 
special constables had been sworn in ; perhaps a knowledge 
of this fact had caused the rioters to confine their operations 
to the villages Vv^est of the town. At Stanningley they stopped 
the mill of Mr. John Varley, and forced the v/orkpeople to 
leave the premises. They then proceeded to Bramley, and 
closed all the mills in that village, including the large 
establishment of IMr. John Haley. They next visited Fui- 
neck, and stopped the mill of Messrs. Field, and what was 
still worse let oif the reservoir. They then divided themselves 
into parties, and went to the mills at Armley, Wortley, 
Famley, <i:c. , which they caused to be closed. In the mean- 



484 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1842.— Aug. 

time a large mob had assembled at Hunslet, and commenced 
operations by turning out the hands at Messrs, Petty's potter- 
ies ; after which they went along Holbeck moor to the mills in 
Holbeck, They forced in the boiler plug, and summonsed the 
hands out of the mill of Messrs. E. and G-. Tatham, Holbeck- 
lane. They did the same thing at several other mills until 
they arrived at the large establishment of Messrs. Marshall. 
The vicinity of the new mill in Marshall-street was com- 
pletely crammed with an excited mob, many of whom were 
armed with bludgeons, stones, &g. The yard-door leading 
to the boilers of the new mill, was strongly barricaded and 
defended by Mr. J. G. Marshall, and a number of workmen ; 
but the mob by repeated efforts forced down the door, and 
rushed into the yard. They could not find the plug of the 
boiler, and consequently did not succeed in stopping the mill. 
They left the premises without having done any serious 
mischief, and then proceeded to the mill of Messrs. Titley, 
Tatham, and Walker, Water-lane, which they were en- 
gaged in stopping when Prince G-eorge with the Lancers 
came up at full speed, and formed in line in Camp-field. The 
riot act was read, and two or three of the ringleaders were 
taken prisoners, A party of Lancers, a party of Fusileers, 
and one or two troops of Yorkshire Hussars, commanded 
by Colonel Beckett, with a body of police headed by one or 
two magistrates were also stationed on Victoria bridge. The 
crowd in the presence of the military, showed no symptoms 
of being turbulent beyond the mere excitement of a mob. 
Prince George withdrew the troops to the Court-house ; 
scarcely had they gone when a considerable mob went off in 
the direction of Meadow-lane, where they burst in the 
boiler plug of Messrs, Benyon's flax mill and compelled the 
workpeople forthwith to leave the premises. They then pro- 
ceeded to the establishment of Messrs, Maclea and March, 
Machine-makers, Dewsbury-road end. A party of police 
and special constables were soon on the spot, and had to use 
great exertions in preventing the rioters from doing serious 
mischief as they had then become very excited. Showers of 
stones flew about the heads of the police, and the scene 
altogether presented a most warlike aspect. Mr, Read, 
the chief-constable especially showed the greatest gallantry 
in repulsing and keeping off, single-handed, a number of 
persons who made an attack upon him. The arrival of 
Prince George with the Lancers and other troops, restored 
tranquility. Shortly after the affray at Messrs. Maclea and 
March's, 38 prisoners were escorted to the Court-house by the 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 485 

1842.— Aug. 

military, and fortliwitli examined by tlie magistrates. Tlie 
prisoners names were : — Jonathan Hirst, Robert Ellis, 
Reuben AVormald, Peter Fitzsimmons, William Howard, 
James Fii'th, Morris Da^-is, William Flesber, Joseph Heaton, 
John Darnbroiigh, Joseph Smith, James Speight, James 
JVIiddleton, John Haddock, Francis Stead, George Gates, 
Charles Wilkinson, James Longstaff, William Baxter, John 
Bej-wood, Thomas Briggs, Joseph Armitage, Thomas Ches- 
ter, George Coupla.nd, WilUam Perigo, John Christie, 
Thomas Rinder, Joseph Hogg, John Land, Joseph Davies, 

Skilbeck, Peter Farrell, Joseph Brook, John Rodiey, 

Josepli Hardy, William Hardy, Henry Freeman, William 
Atkinson. The prisoners Brook, Davies, Farrell, and Wor- 
mald were bound over to keep the peace, and fined £5 each. 
Rodiey and the two Hardy's were also bound over to keep 
the peace. Middleton, Freeman, and Atkinson were dis- 
charged. The rest were committed to York for trial. The 
following were also committed to York for being concerned 
in riots at Churwell, Beeston Royds mill, and other places. 
Benjamin Goodison, Joseph Heaton, George Peat, James 
Gomersall, Joseph Riddleston, Charles Hardaker, William 
Bell, Joseph Butterfield, Joseph Lister, James Taylor, 
W^illiam Bedford, John Bradshaw, Francis Oxley, and 
Samuel Verity. A special commission sat at York to try the 
rioters. The Leeds rioters were tried on the 3rd of Septem- 
ber. Most of the prisoners were found guilty and sentenced 
to terms of imprisomnent varying from eighteen months down- 
wards. The military refrained at Leeds from firing upon the 
mob. Thus ended the chartist riots at Leeds, an event that 
will long be remembered from the alarm it excited. Several 
persons received v\'ounds but no lives were lost, and consider- 
ing the excitement no very serious damage was done to 
property. Some idea of the preparations made by the 
authorities at Leeds, for the suppression of disturbances 
may be gathered from the fact that 30,000 staves had been 
provided for the special constables. The streets were cleared 
early in the evening, and all public houses forced to close at 
•eight o'clock. A large number of police and special constables 
were on duty the whole of the night. Two thousand persons 
sufiered imprisonment for being concerned in riots in the 
county of York. Mr. Feargus O'Connor, Mr. Julian Harney, 
and other chartist leaders were convicted after long and ex- 
pensive trials, of promoting riots, but ultimately in June, 
1843, succeeded in obtaining an arrest of judgment in the 
^ourt of queen's bench. 



486 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1842.— Aug. 

30tli. Joseph. Henry Bennett, a pupil of Mr. J. I. Ikin, 
surgeon, Cookridge-street, Leeds, fired a pistol at, and shot 
dead John Dunwell, ostler at Mr. Wharton's hotel, Park- 
lane. The parties were on very friendly terms, and Bennett 
stated that he presented the pistol at his friend in a joke, not 
knowing that it was loaded. He was committed to York for 
manslaughter, and subsequently convicted and sentenced to 
three months imprisonment. 

Sept. 7th. A splendid Soiree of the Leeds Mechanics* 
Institution and Literary Society was held this day in the 
Music-hall. Earl Fitzwilliam, Mr. Wyse, M.P., the Hon. 
and Rev. Wm. Yernon Harcourt, Professors Liebig, Buck- 
land, and Daubeny, Dr. Lyon Plajrfair, Geo. Stephenson, 
and others attended the Soiree. The annual meeting of the 
Yorkshire Union of Mechanics' Institutes was held in Leeds 
on the same day. 

Oct. 8th. Mountjoy, the celebrated pedestrian, completed 
this day, the very remarkable feat of walking from Leeds to 
Bradford and back again, three times within fourteen hours, 
on six successive days, being a distance of 62 miles each day. 
On the 17th of the same month, at the Victoria Cricket 
Grround, Woodhouse moor, in the space of half-an-hour, 
he ran one mile — walked one mile fowards and one back- 
wards — trundled a hoop half-a-mile — Vt^heeled a barrow half- 
a-mile — hopped upon one leg 200 yards — ran backwards 200 
yards — picked up 40 eggs with his mouth, placed a yard apart, 
mthout his knees touching the ground or his hands touching 
the eggs, and brought each egg in his mouth, and deposited 
it in a bucket of water without breaking. After a rest of 
thirty minutes he also performed the following feat within 
an hour, he ran seven miles, and leaped over sixty hurdles, 
at an elevation of nearly four feet, having an egg in his 
mouth v/hile leaping over the last twenty. 

20th. Grace Darling, the heroine of the Fern Islands 
died this day at Bamburgh, aged twenty-five years. 

23rd. Mrs. Temple, the post-mistress of Leeds, died this 
day. She was succeeded by Mr. Anderson, who at this time 
had been in the post-office more than thirty-six years. 

Leeds Municipal Election Extraordinary. 
August 22nd. North Ward, [J. W. Smith.] 
LEEDS MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS, 1st November, 1842. 
The names in brackets were elected. 

Mii.L-HiLi, [Charles Lee, C. .338, John Atkinson, C. 336,] Geo. 
Sii^ith. senr., L. '267, Thomas Holt, L. 268 West, and vice 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 487 

1842.— Nov 

Fairbairn, resigned, [Robert Craven, L. 583, Thomas Newsome, C. 
549, George Morton, L. 542,] John Patrick, C. 534, John Wad- 
dinsrton, L. 531, Eichur 1 Bramley, C. 541, Joshua Hobson, R, 53. 

North- Wkst, [Thomas White, R. 271, J Thos. Hardwick, C. 31. 

North, [William Hornby, L. 3S0,] Richard Ripie}-, C. 93. 

Nouih-East, [Benjamin Holro^-d, C. 592,] John Jackson, R. 536. 

East, f-'ohn Cawood, C. 348,] William B.iron, R. 211. 

KiRKGATR, [W^illiam Sellers, R. 246,] Ralph Markland, C. 214. 

South, [William France, L. 152,] Stephen Mitchell, L. 141, 

William Ward, C. 115 Hunslet, [Robert Arthington, L. 48/,] 

Joseph Beckett, C 434, Joshua Hobson, R. 205 Holbrck, 

[Joseph CliflF, L 713, John Whitehead, L. 548,] Joshua Hobson, R. 
367 BiiAMLR\, [John Eister, C, Abraham Farrar, C] 

Heading LEV, [Thos. Strother, C] 

November 9th, Henry Cooper Marshall, elected mayor. 

The following gentlemen were elected aldermen : — 
February 2nd, Charles Gascoigne Maclea. A^pril 27th. Joseph 
Henry Gates. 

Nov. 24tli. Mr. Thomas Bent . Hodgson was elected 
Registrar for the West-Riding, in opposition to the Hon. 

Arthur Lascelles, and Mr. James Stephenson. In this 

month the treaty of peace between Great Britain and China 
was signed, 

Dec. 5th. A grand anti-corn-law Soiree was held at Leeds. 
Dr. BowTing, and Mr. Richard Cobden were amongst the 
speakers. 23rd. The Yorkshire Agricultural and Com- 
mercial Bank stopped payment. 26th. The principal 

speakers at the Christmas festival of the Leeds Temperance 
Society, were J. S. Buckingham, Esq. , and the Rev. Joseph 

Barker, of Newcastle. 31st. A cheadful boiler explosion. 

occurred at Bower's iillerton Main Colliery, near Leeds, 
doing much damage to property, and injury to several 

persons. The average prices of grain per quarter, for 

the* year 1842, were : — wheat 57s. 3d., barley 27s. 6d., 
oats 19s. 3d., rye 33s., beans 32s. 5d., peas 33s. lid. 

The number of marriages in Leeds in 1840 was 1623 — in 
1841, 1587— in 1842, 1408. The number of births in 1840 
was 6,553— in 1841, 6,685— in 1842, 6,357. The number of 
deaths in 1840 was 4,485— in 1841, 4,373— in 1842, 4,609. 

1843. John Foster, a Baptist minister, born in 1770 in 
Yorkshire, died this year : at an early age attracted the 
notice of the late Dr. Fawcett, Baptist minister, of Hebden 
bridge, near Halifax, in Yorkshire, by whose influence he. 
was entered a student of the Baptist college, Bristol, where 
he studied first under Dr. Evans, and afterwards under Dr.. 
Ryland ; became a preacher, settled, at last, at Downend,, 



488 ANJS-ALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1843. -Jan. 

near Bristol ; relinquishing tlie peculiar duties of a minister, 
devoted himself to literature, and was a frequent contributor 
to the ' ' Ecclesiastic Review. " His reputation is chiefly 
founded on his "Essays," (1805,) which are very valuable, 
a,nd have exerted considerable influence. He published also 
a somewhat heavy work on "The evils of Popular Ignorance." 
Eoster's intellect was of a high order. His mind was well 
furnished, well cultivated, logical and powerful. His style 
has elegance as v/ell as strength. 

Jan. 14th. The stoppage of the Sheffield old Bank, of 
Messrs. Parker, Shore, and Co., took place, owing to the 

long continued commercial depression. 20th. Mr. Edward 

Drummond, private secretary to Sir Robert Peel, was 
assassinated in broad day, and in one of the most public 
streets of the metropolis by a man named Mac Naughten. 

29th. Great excitement and horror was caused in Leeds, 
by the discovery in the river Aire, near Knostrop lock, of 
the body of a female, mutilated and burnt in the most 
horrid manner. Every circumstance connected with the 
event v*^as shrouded in mystery. 

Feb. 1st. A great anti-corn-law demonstration took place 
at Manchester. Delegates attended from, all the principal 

towns in the kingdom. 3rd. Throughout the night of 

the 3rd instant, and during the early part of the 4th, Leeds 
was visited by the strongest and perhaps the most cold and 
piercing wind that had occurred since January, 1839. Con- 
siderable damage was done to property. 8th. A dreadful 

earthquake occurred at Guadalou]3e in the West Indies, by 

which 20,000 lives were lost. 8th. The Leeds town 

council resolved to purchase land at Armley, for the purpose 

of building a borough gaol. At this time the hand-loom 

weavers of Leeds petitioned the house of commons, represent- 
ing their most deplorable situation, and ascribing it to the 
competition of the power loom, against which they asked 
parliament to protect them. The petition contained upwards 
of 9,000 signatures. 

March. About this time Messrs. B. Gott and Sons laid out 
the field adjoining their factory. Park mill, into gardens for 
the use of their workpeople. Messrs. Marshall, at Holbeck 
and Headingley also allotted land for the use of their work- 
people. About one o'clock on Friday the 17th, a shock 

of an earthquake was experienced in Lancashire. It was 
also felt at Leeds, Headingley, York, Richmond, (fee. 

April. On Wednesday the 5th of April, at Sheffield 9,055 
persons were relieved at the workhouse board, and there 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 489 

1843.— April. 
"were at this time iipTrards of 4,000 uninliabited houses and 

shops in the same towTi. 11th. A great public meeting 

was held in the coloured Cloth-hall, Leeds, to oppose the 
bill of Sir James Graham, then before parliament for the 
education of children in factory districts. 

14th. John Nicholsox, of Bradford, the Airedale poet, 
was born iSTovember 29th, 1790, at Weardley, in the parish 
of Harewood. His father, a worsted manufacturer, having 
married the daughter of a farmer at Eldwick near Bingiey, 
removed thither when his son vras only a few weeks old. 
The first rudiments of education were taught him by his 
father at the wool-sorting board. He was afterwards sent 
to a school on Romald's moor, kno^\ai as the shooting house, 
conducted by a person named Brigg, who followed besides 
the business of a schoolmaster that of besom-maker. After 
remaining there a few years he was sent to the Bingiey free 
grammar school, then under the care of the late amiable and 
learned Dr. Hartley, but only remained there about tv^^elve 
months. He was then put to wool-sorting as a preliminary 
step to business ; but the pursuits of poetry, his love of 
reading and an unsettled mind, greatly interfered v/ith his 
duties in the wool warehouse, and entirely unfitted him for 
business, so that he remained all the days of after life either 
a journeyman woolcomber or sorter. He was fond of music, 
and early in life learned to perform on the hautboy. He 
has often been knovcn to travel to Leeds, a distance of 
sixteen miles for the sole purpose of buying a reed for his 
instrument. He married before he was tvv^enty years of age. 
His wife died soon after leaving him a child. In 1813 
he took to himself another wife, named Martha Wild, of 
Bingiey, whom he familiarly called ' Pat, ' and who survived 
him. He was first brought into local reputation as a poet 
in 1818, by a sarcastic composition relating to a physician 
at Bradford. He afterT\^ards wrote a piece in three acts, 
termed ' ' The Robber of the Alps, " which was performed at 
the old theatre, Bradford. It was so well received that he 
soon produced the " Siege of Bradford," which was acted for 
the benefit of Mr. Macauley, one of the players, and 
yielded the sum of £47. In 1824 he published Airedale and 
other poems. A second edition was struck ofi" in 1825. 
Unfortunately the publication of this work induced him to 
quit his employment, and roam about the country for the 
purpose of selling the work. He then contracted inveterate 
habits of intemperance, which he never afterwards shook ofi", 
but proved the bane and curse of his life. In 1827 he 



490 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1843— April. 

published the " Lyre of Ebor," and other poems, and again 
started as a vendor of his works. His improvident conduct 
continued to increase, and his wife and family had in con- 
sequence to endure many privp.tions. The poet was often 
befriended and helped out of his diiBculties by George Lane 
Fox, Esq., of Bramham. In October 1827 Mr. Fox made him 
a present of £20, with which (less £4 he gave to his wife) and 
a large stock of his works he departed for London. As usual 
the money he took vath him, and Vt^hat he received for the 
sale of his books was soon spent. He Avas there three weeks 
and returned home with only a half-penny in his pocket. 
A laughable incident occurred to the poet while in London, 
which got into the daily papers headed ' ' The Yorkshire 
Poet in trouble. " He had there made the acquaintance of a 
• ba,rrister, and a number of gentlemen of gay habits, who 
persuaded, him one night to go to the Drury-iane theatre, 
and paid for his admission into the dress-boxes. His eccentric 
conduct, and odd dress, — blue coat, corduroy breeches, and 
grey yarn stockings, soon collected round him a number of 
sioells of both sexes, determined to be merry at his expense. 
A great uproar was the consequence and the officer on duty 
at the theatre took l^icholson, after a severe struggle, to 
Covent garden watch-house. Next day he^vas brought before 
Sir Richard Bernie, who on hearing the case laughed heartily 
and discharged the prisoner. The poet started for home 
immediately. Believing that the metropolis was the great 
mart for his works, after the lapse of a few months he again 
visited London, this time accompanied by his wife who proved 
a great check on his excessess. While there he buried a 
favourite child. A circumstance now occurred which put 
an end to his book-selling journeys. The printer and 
publisher of his works became insolvent, and a large stock 
of the books (Nicholson having paid for the paper) were put 
to the hammer, and realized about half their value. He 
was then obliged to earn a livelihood by the laborious and 
ill-recom.pensed occupation of wool-combing. He removed 
from Bingley to Bradford in 1833, and remained there during 
the remainder of his life. His life was henceforward a 
chequered scene of labour one day, and reckless conduct the 
next. He never gave up the pleasures of composing poetry, 
and at intervals wrote ' A description of the Low-moor Iron 
works,' ' A Avalk from Knaresbrough to Harrogate,' &c., &c. 
On the evening before Good Friday, April 13th, 1843, 
Nicholson left Bradford for Eldvack, and called at several 



THE SURROUXDIXG DISTRICT. 491 

1843.— April. 

places on the road. It TS'as near midnight Avhen he left 
Shipley. He proceeded niD the bank of the canal in the 
dii-ection of Dixon mill, and at this place it seems, attempted 
to cross the river Aire, by means of the stepping stones. 
The night -was dark and the river swollen. It is supposed 
that he had missed his footing and fallen into the current ; 
struggled out, became benumbed and exhausted, — he T\'as 
found dead on the bank next morning, his body quite warm, 
and his clothes wet. On the ISth he was interred in Bingley 
church yard, where a monument was erected to his memory 
by George Lane Fox, bearing this simple inscription : — 

"Here rest the remains of John Nicholson, of Bradford, the 
Airedale poet, who was found dead on the bank of the river Aire^ 
April 14th, 1843, in the 53rd year of his age." 

He left a wife and eight children. In person he was about 
five feet ten inches in height, of robust make, broad 
shouldered, and rather stooped. He v>'as of a ruddy com- 
plexion, "with a dark bro^^-n eye in vrhich fire seemed to 
roll at the bottom. His eye and massjr overshadowing brow 
were the only indexes in his countenance of the intellectual 
power he possessed. In dispositon he was kind-hearted, 
frank, and without deceit. His great and sole vice was 
intemperance. During the latter years of his life he wa& 
remarkably slovenly in dress and general appearance. Had 
ISTicholson's powers been cultivated there can be no doubt he- 
would have ranked high as a poet. He possessed all the 
requisites of a true poet and noble-minded man. He was 
ever remarkable for impromptu verse making. He 
was once on the eve of ha-^ing his furniture sold, by Clark- 
son his landlord, for rent, when his friend Mr. Fox pre- 
prevented the sale by discharging the debt. He wrote on a 
pane of glass in one of the "windows : — 

Oh Clarkson, Clarkson, with a heart 
More hard than Bingley rocks. 
Who would have sold the poet up 
But for his friend Lane Fox. 

J. G. HorsfaU, Esq., one day called at the poet's house 
for a drink of water, when he was handed instead a draught 
of beer. Mr. Horsfall in a jocose manner said, " Nicholson, 
they state you are a poet, but let me hear what you can say 
about this pot of beer," when without premeditation he. 
improvised the f oUo\sdng : — 



492 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1843.— April. 

'' for an everlasting spring 

Of home brew'd drink like this ! 

Then with my friends I'd laugh and sing, 

And spend the hours in bliss ; 

Then come old Care linked with Despair, 

For I with thee made strong, 

Would plunge them overhead in beer, 

And make them lead the song. " 

A glass of new drawn porter was one brought to the poet, 
when he took out his pencil and wrote : — 

" The gallant, the gay and the sporter, 
Have here but little to stay ; 
For life's like the froth on that porter 
And quickly doth vanish away." 

May. The skeleton of a whale was exhibited in Leeds market 
of the amazing length of ninety-five feet. The carraige in 
which it was exhibited was of colossal size, and very appro- 
priately repesented a British man-of-war. The exhibition 
was so arranged, that the visitors could walk through the 
skeleton of the gigantic wonder of the deep without the 

least inconvenience. 30th. An address of the electors 

and inhabitants of the West-Riding of Yorkshire, agreed to 
at a public meeting in Wakefield, at which Earl Fitzwilliam 
presided, was presented to Lord Morpeth, expressive of 
appreciation of his lordship's private virtue and public 
conduct, during the time that he represented the West- 
Riding. 

June 7th. The 22nd meeting of the Geological and 
Polytechnic Society of the West-Riding of Yorkshire, was 
held in the Philosophical-hall, Park-row, Leeds. The Rev. 

W. F. Hook, D.D., presided. 14th. At a special 

meeting of the Leeds town council, a petition was adopted 
to both houses of parliament, for an enquiry into the present 
state of the post ofiice, with a view to the completion of the 
plan of penny postage, as originally proposed by Mr. Hill. 
At the same meeting, the town clerk was empowered to 
continue an action against Thomas Hebden, and Elkanah 
Gates, for opening the public market called " King Charles' 
Croft," and placards were ordered to be issued and posted in 
the town, as weU as inserted in the newspapers, cautioning 
all persons from buying or selling in the market. 

July 4th. The little village of Mount Tabor near Halifax, 
was thrown into a state of the greatest consternation by the 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 493 

1843.— July. 

murder of a weaver named John Dobson, aged 52, by liis own 
son Joseph aged 25. There had been family quarrels during 
the day, and tlio son at last swore a dreadful oath that if there 
were powder and shot in Halifax he would shoot his father. 
Having his deadlj* object in view, he went to a neighbouring 
house for the purpose of borromng a pistol. Foiled in his 
object, and knowing that a gun was kept at the house Avhere 
lie had formerly lodged, he proceeded to a place in Boy-lane, 
where he purcliased some powder, some shot (No. 6,) and 
some caps. Vv'ith this ammunition he went to his late land- 
lord's, and, cutting do"v\m an old gun which was suspended 
upon one of the beams, took it to the door, where he first 
tried the lock with a percussion cap, and then, charging it 
with powder, fii'ed it, and finding the g"an to be in good 
repair, he finally charged it, and was noticed by a young 
man standing by to put in an extraordinary quantity of 
shot, from a paper he had in his pocket. Thus armed, he 
proceeded towards home, saying, in a jest, he was going to 
learn to shoot. About three o'clock in the afternoon the 
parricide came home. The father was out, but came in a few 
minutes afterwards. The dwelling was but scantily fui uished. 
The son, it appears, deliberately loaded the gun, and rammed 
it. He then asked his father if he meant to perform some 
act he had told him to do. The old man did not answer. The 
question was asked a second time, but still no answer was 
given. ' ' Then I'll shoot thee, " was the diabolical declaration 
of the son, who levelled the piece and fired. The gun, 
however, did not go off. Quick as lightning a second cap 
was put on the lock, and the gun fired. The old man uttered 
a deep groan, and then falling upon the hearth stone, the 
next moment was dead, a portion of the shot having passed 
through his heart. The wife of the parricide was standing 
close to the old man at the time the gun was fired. The 
muzzle of the gun could not have been distant more than a 
quarter of a yard from the breast of the old man, and con- 
sequently, the whole of the charge was lodged in his person. 
Hearing the report of fire-arms, several neighbours im- 
mediately ran to the spot, but in the meantime the wretch 
had made his escape, and throwing the gun into a neighbour- 
ing field, ran ofi" towards Halifax, followed by six or seven. 
men. For a while the pursuers had the murderer in sight, 
but unfortunately lost him in Snakehill-wood, and he suc- 
ceeded in making his escape. He was subsequently appre- 
hended, and tried at York on the 19th of December, found 
guilty of wilful murder, and executed on the 20th of January 
in the follo^ving year. 42 



494- ANNALS OF LEEDS, YOPvK, AND 

1843— July. 

5bh, A very handsome silver tea service vv'as presented to 
the E-ev. E,ichard Winter Hamilton, by his church and 
congregation at Belgrave chapel, Leeds, as a token of esteem 
and affection. The testimonial consisted of : — a tea service 
and coffee pot, beautifully chased in raised bouquets. An 
elegant kettle stand, and lamp to match, holding about four 
quarts. An elaborately embossed round basket of exquisite 
workmanship ; eighteen Victoria pattern tea spoons, pair 
ditto butter knives, pair ditto sugar tongs, sugar and caddy 
spoons, (fee. The llev. gentleman's crest was engraved on all 
the plate, and the larger articles bore the following inscrip- 
tion : — "Presented to the Rev. H. W. Hamilton, by the 
church and congregation under his pastoral care, as a token 
of their high esteem, and devoted affection. Leeds, July 

5th, 3843." The hooping cough and measels were 

very prevalent amongst children in Leeds. At one time there 
were no fewer than seventy children in the Infant school 
labouring under these complaints out of 120 scholars. 

5th. The town and neighbourhood of Leeds were visited 
this evening by a terrific thunderstorm and hurricane. The 
hailstones were so enormously large, (some being an inch and 
a half in circumference) that numerous squares of glass were 
broken by their fall, and the strength of the wind was such, 
that at Armley a large tree was torn up by the roots, and 
carried to a short distance, where it fell upon a cow and 
killed it. Considerable damage was done to crops and fruit 
trees in the neighbourhood. 

8th. Edv/in Eddison, Esq. for seven years town-clerk of 
Leeds, and clerk to the council since the new improvement 
act in August, 1842, tendered to the mayor his resignation 
of both o^ces. John Arthur Ikin, Esq. , at a council meet- 
ing on the 3 9th of July was elected to the ofiice of town-clerk 

by a large majority, There was discovered about this time 

on the estate of William CraA^en, Esq. , of Cold Spring House, 
near Cullingworth, a pure and bounteous spring of intensely 
cold water, said to be two degrees colder than the celebrated 

mountain spring at Ilkley. 12th. A general strike of 

the workmen at the Low-moor Iron Works near Bradford, 
took place. The vrool-combers of Bradford also turned out 
about the same time. In both cases the strike was for an 

advance of wages. 12tli. Died J. B. S. Morritt, Esq., 

of Hokeby Park, Yorkshire, aged 72. Sir Y/alter Scott 
said of him m 1823, ' ' He is now one of my oldest, and, I 
believe one of my most sincere friends : a man unequalled 



THE SURROUXDI^'G DISTRICT. 495 

1S43.— July. 

in the mixture of sound good sense, liigli literary cultivation, 
and the kindest and svv-eetest temper that ever graced a 
human bosom. " 

13th. In the afternoon of this day, the to-svn and 
neighbourhood of Leeds were again visited by a severe thun- 
derstorm. In the field at ]S^e^^i•on Hall, the residence of 
George Goodman, Esq., Potterne'vU.on, a tree was split 
asunder by the lightning. Sirs. Leah Hirst, of Cow 
Rakes, in Liudley, near Huddersfield, vras struck dead by 
the electric fluid. Tlie lightning also did much damage to 
Mr. Leah's house. During this month the celebra- 
ted Father Matthev>', a Roman Ca,tholic priest from Ire- 
land, and a great temperance advocate, visited nearly all 
the principal towns in Yorkshire. On Sunday the 9th inst. 
he preached a sermon in St. Ann's catholic church, Leeds, 
and on Monday morning, the 10th, at seven o'clock he 
administered mass in the same church in full canonicals. At 
nine o'clock in the morning of the same day, a public break- 
fast was given in his honour in the hall of the Mechanics' In- 
stitution, South-parade, after which was held a temperance 
meeting. Edward Baines, Esq., junr. occupied the chair. At 
half-past one o'clock a i:)rocession was formed in South-parade 
and Park -row, whence it proceededthrough the principal streets 
of the town to the Zoological and Botanical gardens, at 
Headingley, where a grand Gala was held in honour of 
Father Matthew's visit to Leeds. On Tuesday he visited 
Bradford, and on Wednesday, Huddersfield. 

24th. Dr. Hobson having resigned the oflice of senior 
physician to the Leeds General Infirmary, Dr. Chadwick was 

this day appointed to the vacant office.- 31st. A public 

meeting of the Leeds anti-slavery society was held this 
evening in Queen-street chapel. The Rev. J. W. C. Pen- 
nington, a gentleman of colour from the L'nited States of 
America, attended and addressed the meeting. 

August 2nd. The eleventh anniversary meeting of the 
Provincial Medical and Surgical association was held in Leeds. 

9th. At the meeting of the Leeds town council this day, 
Mr. Jackson, one of the churchwardens, stated on the part 
of the vicar and his fellow- churchwardens that unless the 
coimcil paid annually £1 2 12s. for necessary repairs of the 
parish church clock, it must stand. The coimcil declined to 

pass any vote upon the subject. The Leeds second 

public exhibition for the benefit of tlie Leeds Mechanics' 
Institute was open at this time, and held in the Music-hall, 
Albion-street. It contained a very extensive and rare 



496 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

]C43.— Aug. 

collection of paintings, sculpture, (fcc. A museum of 
antiquities, curiosities, natural history, (fee. Models of 
steam engines and machinery in active motion, amongst 
which may be mentioned a Jacquard loom, silk purse and 
stocking knitting loom, the process of silvering plate glass, 
electrotyping at work, file cutting machine, sheet and fillet 
card making machines, glass blowing, Rosenberg's cele- 
brated composing and distributing machine, lithographic and 
printing press, fancy turning and other lathes at work, a 
large diving bell, <fec. , &c. The prices of admission were 
season tickets, 2s. 6d. , single admission, 6d. 

24th. The first prize of o€l50 for plans of a new gaol at 
Armley was awarded to Messrs. Hirst and Moffatt of Leeds 
and Doncaster ; and the second prize of £75 was awarded to 
Messrs. Perkin and Backhouse of Leeds. ' The latter gentle- 
men were on the 9th of November following, appointed 
architects for the erection of the gaol. They estimated that 
the land, the building, and the fitting up of the gaol might 
amount to £40,560, (see 1847.) 

In this month a silver coin of James I. , of England and YIth 
of Scotland, and bearing date 1604, was found in the allot- 
ment gardens near Gott's mill. Another coin of the time of 

Elizabeth was also found. Mr. Thomas Sidney of the 

firm of Sidney and Stables, tea merchants, Leeds, made the 
munificent ofier of five hundred guineas towards a proposed 
institution, afterwards called the "The Leeds Tradesmen's 
Benevolent Institution," which was established October 23rd, 
1843. The humane obj ect of th e society is the granting of pen- 
sions to distressed reputable merchants, manufacturers, trades- 
men and professional men, when in old age and suffering through 
poverty and adverse circumstances, and alsoto their widows. 
Each applicant must have attained the age of sixty-years, 
and have resided at least seven years within the borough 
of Leeds, and during that period must have occupied as 
owner or tenant, prem^ises of the annual rental of £30 or 
upwards, rated to the relief of the poor, or £40 not rated ; 
or occupied room and power, of the annual rental of £100 
or upwards, or room power and machinery of the annual 
value of £120 or upwards, rated or not. The society has 
stock in the consols and borough funds, to the value of 
£10,000. Seventy pensioners are now (1859) enjoying the 
bounty of the institution. The highest grant to males is 
£24 per annum, unless he shall have been a member of the 
society for seven consecutive years, then the grant is £30 ; 
and to females £22. The pensioners are paid by the com- 



THE SURROUXDIXG DISTRICT. 497 

1843.— Aug. 

inittee qnarteiiy, namely on the 1st of Jan., April, July, 
and October. Povrer is given to allow a sum not exceeding 
£5 towards the funeral expenses, at the death of a pensioner. 
Offices — South-parade ; Mr. William Pearson, Secretary. 

Sept. 7th. Mr. Charles Hill, of Bradford, undertook for 
a wager of £20, to drag from the Exchange, Bradford, to 
the Exchange, Leeds, and back again in twelve hours, a 
wlierry laden with pack sheets, weighing two packs or thirty 
stones. He started at eight o'clock in the evening, and 
returned to the place of starting at three minutes past seven 

o'clock next morning. 12th. The great St. Ledger race 

at Doncaster was won by a head, by IS'utwith, — Cotlierstone 
carried oif the second prize, and Prizefighter the third ; the 
former beating the latter by a neck. The race was timed at 
three minutes and twenty seconds. Value of the stakes 
.subject to the usual deductions £3,100. The cup day was 
on the 14th, when Cotherstone was first, Napier second, 
and Ai-istides third. Aiistides was beat cleverly by a neck 
only. Pun in three minutes and twenty-three seconds. 

Oct. 3rd. Died suddenly whilst attending a meeting of the 
Manchester literary society, George William Wood, Esq., 
M. P. for Kendal. He was the son of the late Rev. A /illiam 
Wood, minister of Mill-hill chapel, Leeds, and was for a 
considerable time in business in the town, in the firm of 
Oates, Wood, and Smithson. He married in 1810, Sanxh, 
eldest daughter of the late Josepli Oates, Esq., of Weetwood 
hall, near Leeds. He was a man of the most upright 
character, of enlarged understanding, extensive knowledge, 
and excellent business habits. 

11th. In order to carry out the enlargement of the 
Kirkgate market, in Leeds, the tovm council some time 
before this date ofi"ered to Mr. John Purchon the sum of 
£1,55.5 10s. for property belonging to him situate in Pur- 
chon's yard, Kirkgate, which he refused to take. The sum 
demanded by 3Ir. Purchon was £4,860. To settle the 
matter the council acting under the powers of the Leeds 
improvement act, directed a warrant to the high sherifi" of 
the county, requiring him to summon a jury at Leeds to 
determine the amount of comjDensation to be paid for the 
property. The case was heard this day in the council- 
chamber at the Leeds Coui-t-house, and the jury brought 
in a verdict assigning compensation to the amount of £2,500. 
The costs of the action fell on the council. A similar case 
of disputed compensation between the council and Mr. 
Matthevr Kitchin, owner of the London Tavern, Kirkgate, 



498 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1843.— Oct. 

and the adjoining premises was heard 7th June, 1844, when 

the jury assessed the compensation at £9,000, (the sum 

claimed by Mr. Kitchin) for the property and £1,250 for 

the good- will of the tavern. 

Leeds Municipal Election Esitraordinary. 
June 30th, West Ward, [John Jackson ] 

LEEDS MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS, Ist November, 1843. 
The names in brackets were elected. 

Mtll-Hill, [John Moorhonse, L 303, Chas. Watson, L. 302,] 

J Rnyner, C, 299, B Williamson, C. 298. Wrst, [Francis 

Carbutt L. 4S8, John Jackson, R 481,] P. L. Atkinson, C. 438, 

D Atkinson, C 441. NoarH-WESr, [Cliristopher Heaps, L. 

347,] James Close, 276. NoRiH. [Thos. Brumfit. L] 

Nor iH- East, [Thos. Wedill, C. 539,] (,. Morton, R. 348. 

East, [J. C. Barrett, R. 394,] Martin Cawood, C. 384. 
. KiRKGATK, [John Yewdall, L. 223,] Richard Stead, C. 213. 

South, [John Broadhead, L.J Hunslet, [Samuel Walker, 

L. 424,] Wm. Heaton, junr., C. 224 Holbkck, [Joshua Hob- 
son, R. 567, William Ingham, L. 495,] Mr. Pape, L. 387. 

Bhamt.hv, [John Wilson, C. 669, John Oddy, C. 664,] John 

Cliff, L. 371, D. Hainsworth, L. 365. Headingley, [John 

Prince, C 268,] Thomas Anderton, L. 201. 

November 9th. Hamer Stansfeld, Esq., elected mayor. 

December 27th. North- East Ward, vice Holroyd, deceased, 
Martin Cawood. 

Nov. 6th. John Deakin Heaton, Esq., M.D., Park-square, 
was elected physician to the Leeds Public Dispensary. 

12th. At midnight, James Searle, alias Tigser, of Leeds, 
completed the Barclay match of walking 1000 miles in 1000 
successive hours, on the piece of road from the Shakespere 
Inn, Meadow-lane, to the New Peacock Inn, Holbeck. He 
continued to walk until half-past five o'clock p. m. , the next 
day, when he completed the distance of 1,018 miles in 1,018 
successive hours, together with sixty-three yards over and 
above each mile, amounting to thirty-five miles 1,400 yards, 
and making a total of 1,053 miles 1,400 yards. 

23rd. Mr. James Byram, shopkeeper, Gildersome, was 
charged before the Leeds magistrates with offering for sale 
40tt)s of spent tea leaves, which had been re-dried and 
coloured in imitation of black tea. He was convicted in a 
penalty of £5 for every pound of tea, namely £200 and Is. 
damages, or in default of payment to be imprisoned six 
months. 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 499 

1843— Dec. 

Dec. 6th. All eclipse of the nioou commenced at half-past 
nine p.m. ; was complete at midnight, and terminated at a 
quarter hef ore three on the following morning. The weather 
was most favourable for observation. 6th. The twenty- 
fourth quarterly meeting of the Geological and Polytechnic 
Society of the West-Riding was held at Huddersfield. The 
Eev. W. Scoresby, D. D. , F. R. S. , presided. At this meeting 
it was resolved that the specimens composing the museum of 
the society should be removed to the apartments of the Leeds 

Philosophical and Literaiy Society. In this month Dr. 

Wesley, the organist of the Leeds parish church delivered 
eight lectures on church music, at the Collegiate Institution, 

Liverpool. 13th. A public meeting for the abolition of 

the corn laws was held in the Music-hall, ^Ubioii-street, 
Leeds. Hamer • Stansfeld Esq. , the mayor, occupied the 
chair, and the meeting was addressed by Richard Cobden, 
Esq., M.P., John Bright, Esq., M.P., R. R. Moore, Esq. 
of Manchester, Henry Asliworth, Esq. of Bolton, and other 
gentlemen. At the close of the meeting £2,110 6s. was 
subscribed towards the anti -corn-law league fund. Anti-corn- 
law meetings were held in most of the principal tovv'ns in 
Yorkshire, when large sums of money were contributed 
for the purpose of the "Anti-Corn-Law League." 

The good harvest of this and the previous year made 
food cheap. The workmen in the towns and villages after 
long suffering had regained employment, and all trades were 
improved. The popular demand for the removal of the corn 
laws had greatly increased. The great agitation, by Daniel 
O'Comiell, for a repeal of the union in Ireland, caused great 
alarm to the Government, Avho instituted proceedings against 
him, his son, and other repealers. The trial of O'Connell, 
and others, commenced on the 15th of January, ] 844, and 
ended on the 12th of February, having lasted just a month ; 
a verdict of Guilty was returned against them. Shoii;ly 
after, a debate in the House of Commons, on the subject of 
Ireland, occupied nine days. In June O'Connell was sen- 
tenced to twelve months imprisonment, and a fine of £2,000 ; 
and his son and the other traversers, (with the exception of 
the Rev. ^Ir. Tierney), to nine months imprisonment, and 
a fine of £50 each. The House of Lords reversed the judg- 
ment, after the pai-ties had been imprisoned three months. 

During the year, Queen Victoria made a visit, entirely di • 
vested of state formalities, to the late royal family of France, 
and to her uncle, the king of Belgium. Extensive riots 



500 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1H44.— JaX. 

took place in Wales, caused by the great distress of the poor, 
unpopularity of the poor laws, and the increase of turn- 
pike gatf s. 

1844. Jan, The miners at the R-othAvell Haigh and Robin 
Hood collieries, amounting to about 150 men, Ayere at this 
time out on strike, owing to the noAv regulations introduced 
in the pits, having caused a reduction of their wages. 

8th A number of soldiers of the 70th Infantry, stationed 
in Leeds, made an indiscriminate attack upon every person 
they met in proceeding from the Green Man, York-street, up 
Kirkgate, in some cases inflicting serious injury. The 
policemen present did not attempt to seize any of the mil- 
itary, because they had bayonets with them, and were very 
excited. The riot was occasioned by some one having writ- 
ten on the public house table — " I^To swaddy Irishmen or 

soldiers wanted here. " Mr. J. W. Moorhouse, coal pit 

owner, of Wooldale, was charged at Huddersfield and fined 
£20, for having suffered four girls aged respectively 12, 13, 
15, and 17, to be employed in Lidget pit as hurriers. 

15th. The trustees of the Leeds pious use property, hav- 
ing desided to advance the rent of the House of Recovery, 
situate in Vicar-lane, in September, from £23 10s. 6d. to 
£120 a year, a meeting of the subscribers and benefactors 
to the charity, was held in the Philosophical Hall, v/iien it 
was decided to present a requisition to the mayor, to con- 
vene a public meeting of the inhabitants, for the purpose of 
considering the expediency of erecting a new House of Re- 
covery. A committee was formed, and a subscription open- 
ed, and on the 4th July following, it was determined 
to purchase not less than two acres of land as a site for the 
building, of Mr. Arthur Lupton, Junr., of Headingley ; 
situated in Beckett-street, Burmantofts. The building was 
opened in 1848, having cost about £7,000. It stands on an 
elevated site, and is sixty yards back from the road, within 
an enclosure of about 2| acres, which is laid out iu gardens. 
The enclosure has a frontage of about 117 yards to the road, 
from which it is separated b}^ a low wall, surmounted with 
high iron palisading, and runs backward 111 yards. The 
building is of brick, with a stone portico ; its length is 253 
feet, by 23 feet 6 inches wide. There are 22 v^^ards, calcu- 
lated to accommodate 130 patients. Baths are provided, 
with an ample supply of hot and cold water through the 
house. The establishment is well ventilated, and warmed 
on an improved principle. This valuable institution is sup- 
ported by annual subscriptions, voluntary donations, and 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 501 

1844. -Jan. 

collections at cUflerent places of worship. There are 80 beds, 
witli room for 20 more. Mr. Richards, is the resident sur- 
geon, and Mrs. Slater, the matron. Physician, Dr. Chad- 
wick ; snrgeons, Mr. Cass, Mr, Wilson, and Mr. Samuel 
Hey. All persons labouring under infectious fevers, who 
are unable to provide medicine and proper accommodation 
for themselves, are admissible, subject to the payment of 
Is. 9d. per day from the respective townships. Domestic 
servants, labouring under infectious fevers, may be admitted 
on payment of Is. 9d. per day, during their residence in the 

house. The Leeds Gas Company resolved to light Chap- 

eltown with gas. Benjamin Ryding, alias the Morn- 
ing Star, completed the task of walking 1500 miles in 1500 

hours. 16th. John Perry, a man of colour, at Ripon, 

concluded this morning betwixt the hours of seven and eight 
o'clock, the arduous task of walking 1|- mile every successive 
hour for 1000 hours, making an aggregate distance of 1250 

miles. 22nd. Died aged 112 years, George Wharton, the 

oldest man in Yorkshire, who formerly lived at Laverton, 
but who for some years before his death resided at Masham 
Moor Heads in the N"orth-Riding 31st. A great West- 
Riding anti-corn-law demonstration and dinner took place at 
the Corn Exchange, Wakefield, James Garth Marshall, Esq. , 
of Leeds, in the chair. Lord Morpeth, Richard Cobden, 
Esq. , M. P. , John Bright, Esq. , M. P. , and other gentlemen 
took part in the meeting. 

Feb. 20th. Mr. Richard Oastler, after an absence of more 
than three years, during which period he had been in the 
Queen's prison, and from which he was released by the vol- 
untary contributions of his friends, made a public entry into 
the town of Huddersfield, with which he was formerly for a 
series of years intimately connected as steward of the Thorn- 
hill estate of Fixby. 25th. The Rev. George Watson, 

vicar of Caistor, and rector of the adjoining village of Roth- 
well, committed suicide by discharging the contents of a gun 
into his mouth. During some excavations at Chats- 
worth, two immense chests filled with coins were found. 
The collection is supposed to have been made by the great 
great grandfather of the present duke, and is said to be 
worth £10,000. 

March 1st. As the Skipton, Alexander, was returning 
from Leeds, the coachman alighted at the Junction inn, 
about five miles from Skipton, and went into the house, 
leaving the horses to the care of a groom, who accompanied 
the coach from Keighley. It appears, however, that the 



502 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1844.— March. 

groom neglected to attend to his duty ; for tlie horses, finding 
themselves at liberty, set oif at a brisk speed, and arrived 
safe at Skipton without any driver. There were no outside 
passengers, but two gentlemen inside ; one of whom observed 
to his fellow traveller, ' ' that he thought they v/ere going at 
a brisk pace. " Yes, " replied the other, ' ' we are now 
making up for lost time." The coach passed a loaded 
waggon, and other carriages on the roa.d without any accident. 

2nd. A large building occupied as warehouses by nine 
firms at No. 9, G-eorge's-street, Manchester, was totally 
destroyed by fire. The damage was estimated at £150,000. 

9th. A most dreadful accident occurred at Bradford, by 
the bursting of a boiler of the steam engine, of twenty horse 
power at Mason's mill, hy Avhich six young persons were 
killed, namely : — John Wilman, 15, Jonas Wilman, 13, 
Abraham Mitchell, James Booth Flaxington, 13, Edward 
Hainsworth, 17, and — Garfitt. 

11th. A boiler explosion took place at Squire's mill, 
Thornton-road, Bradford, occupied by Messrs. Ackroyd and 
Greenwood, by which two persons named John Roi3inson, 
a.nd William E-igg, were killed, and several others severely 
injured. The accident was caused by putting on more 
power than the boiler could bear. Messrs. Ackroyd, and 
Messrs. Greenwood were properly censured by the coroner's 

jury. William Hey, Esq., surgeon of Leeds, breathed 

his last on the 13th of March this year, (1844) than whom 
few men have lived more beloved and respected ; his hand 
and heart were ever prompt in every good work of utility, 
benevolence, and religion : and his unobtrusive virtues and 
sterling qualities of piety and kindliness in private life, 
endeared him in the caffections and esteem of all who knew 
him. As a member of the medical profession, in which the 
name of his family has long been distinguished and honoured, 
Mr. Hey was one of its brightest ornaments. He was for 
many years senior surgeon of the Leeds general infirmary — 
an institution closely linked with the memory of his venerated 
father. He v/as an alderman of the borough of Leeds many 
years previous to the passing of the municipal reform act, 
having also filled the ofhce of mayor. He was named a 
magistrate of the borough in the commission subsequently 
issued by Lord John Russell, but never qualified. In 1833 
he qualified as a magistrate of the West- Riding, his name 
having been on -the commission for some time previously. 
Mr. Hey was in his seventy-third year at the time of his 
death. 18th. The Gibraltar soap works at Knostrop, 



THE SUSROUNDIXG DISTRICT. 503 

1844.— March. 
near Leeds, belonging to Messrs. Pemberton, were destroyed 

by fire. The trustees of the Leeds pious use property ♦ 

presented the Rev. Dr. Holmes, bead master of the Leeds 
free gxammar school with a donation of £500 from the funds 

of the charity. 20th. A great anti-corn-law meeting 

was held in the Music-hall, Leeds. Jas. G. IMarshall, Esq. 
occupied the cliaii-, and the meeting was addressed by W. 

J. Fox, Esq. and others. 21st. A meeting of mill- 

ov%-ners in the flax-spinning^ woollen, and silk trades, took 
place in the Court-house, Leeds, H. C. Marshall, Esq. in 
the chair, when it was resolved to send a memorial to the 
government, protesting' a,gainst the ten hours clause in Lord 

Astley's factory act. A public meeting in favour of the 

ten hours bill was held in the Music-haU, on the 8th of 
April, at which the E.ev. Dr. Hock presided. 

May 13th. Died, aged 85, Sir John Lo-ivther, of Swilling- 
ton hall, near Leeds. He was the son of the Rev. Sir 
William Lowther, Bart., rector of S^villing-ton, and Ann, 
his wife, a descendant of the ancient family of the Zouches ; 
was born in April, 1759. On the 4th of Sept. 1790, he 
married Lady Elizabeth Fane, third daughter of John, ninth 
Earl of Westmoreland, by v>'hom he had three sons and three 
daughters, but one cf the latter died an infant, and another 
in 1812, Sir John was next brother to the late Earl of 
Lonsdale. His baronetcy dates from the year 1824. He 
was succeeded to his title and estates by his eldest son John 
Henry, (born March 23rd, 1793) one of the members of the 
city of York. Lady Elizabeth Lo^vther, relict of the 
deceased baronet, died on the 19th of May, aged 74. 

23rd. Some 3,000 colliers who were on the strike in this 
district, entered Leeds in procession, and afterwards held a 
meeting in vicar's croft to state their grievances. On the 
17th of June following, the colliers on strike from Lcfthouse, 
Gildersome, Chmnvell, Rothwell Haigh, and other places in 
the neighbourliood of Wakefield, held a public meeting on 
Richmond-hill, Leeds, the magistrates having reiitsed to 
permit them to meet in Kirkgatc market, or vicar's croft. 

29th. The opening of the Hj'-dropathic o.-^tablishnient, at 
Ben-Rhydding was celebrated by a siimi^tuoim dcjeu n<: i- a la 
foui'chette, given mthin the walls of the institution by the 
directors, to a large party of laches and gentlemen from 
Leeds, Bradford, Otley, Ilkley, and the surrounding dis- 
tricts. In the di'awing-room, Hamer Stansfeld, Esq. mayor 
of Leeds, presided ; and the dining-room was under the 
presidency of J. P. Clapham, Esq., of Burley, the principal 



504 . ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK AND 
1844.— May. 

director of the institution. 26tli. Died, aged 46, James 

' Musgrave, Esq. , alderman and magistrate of the borough of 
Leeds. A marble monument was subsequently erected in 
Oxford-place chapel to the memory of the deceased, and 
bears the following inscription : — 

"Sacrtdto th^ memory of James Musgr ve, Esq., aldenTian and magistrate 
of the b')rough df Leeds ; who w-^s for 46 yea-s a member of the VVesleyan Meth- 
odist Society in this town ; dnrii p the jii eater parr of \Uiicli period he occupied 
the officess of local preacher and cU^ss lea ler. As a priva e christian he was uni- 
formly consistt-nt and pious, adoring tae d k trine ol God, liis S.vk ur, in a huiB- 
ble, p acid and devotional spirit. As a local preacher, he was olam, p>aciical and 
searcliinK. As a cldss leader, he was watcliiul, faUlifai, and atl'actiooate. tlis 
trul> christian txample commanded the re^'ect and esteem of hij fellow towns- 
men, while his domestic virtues and simplicity ot 'in-inners, secured tii-- atfection 
of his family and friends. In the erection of this chajiel he t'lOK » lively and 
auxioas interest, watchin^j over the cause oi G )d with uiitirnij:; so.icuadc. He 
was a liberal supporter of all christian institutions, s^-rving and proaiotin^ m 
every possible wiy the interests of true rf»lision. The Divine Master whom lie 
lov d and served to the end, suddenly called him to his eternal rest, (on his way 
to this boase of prayer,) on Sunday evening, May tlie 26ti», 1844, in the 68th year 
of his ape. His n mains are interred in the adjoining burial ground. Th s tablet 
is errectPd by liis affectionate triends tlie trustees of this Chape), in testimony of 
their hiy;l. esteem and res, cct to'- their ever act ve and faitnful treasurer. 'Bless- 
ed are th.ise servai s wUom the L j"d v.'hen he coraeth, shiU find watching.' 

Luke, xi: , 37." 

June 1st. A frightful accident happened at Wakefield to 
a female named Haslegrave. She lived at the house of her 
husband's brother, who kept some j)leasure grounds in Back 
Lane, in which was kept a bear and other animals. The 
bear was confined in a pit made for the purpose, and in the 
middle of it was a pole, up which the bear was in the 
habit of climbing. On Friday morning the animal climbed 
the pole, and springing from it on the wall of its den, made 
its escape. It attacked Mrs. Haslegrave who happened to 
be near the place, got her dov/n, and mangled her dreadfully 
with its claws, tearing away part of one of her breasts, and 
inflicting other serious injuries. Assistance was rendered, 
an?d it was with some difficulty the animal was beaten off and 
afterwards shot. Died aged 85 years, Benjamin Raw- 
son, Esq. , lord of the manor, at Bradford. He purchased 
the manor from the late John Marsden, Esq. , of Hornby 
castle in 1795. Mr. James in his history of Bradford, traces the 
pedigree of the Rawsons up to the times of Henry VIII. 
Their original seat was at Ferrybridge. The deceased was 
born in 1758. In 1785 he married Eli.zabeth, daughter of 
Thomas Plumbe, Esq., second son of the Rev. Thomas 
Plumbe, canon of Windsor. Mrs. Rawson died in 1807, 

leaving seven sons and six daughters. 3rd. John Hope 

Shavf, was elected alderman of the borough of Leeds, vke 
Musgrave, deceased. On Monday the 3rd of June a 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 505 

1844.— June. 

fire occ-jrred at Huddersfield, b}^ whicli property to tlie value 
of nearly £40,000 Vv-as destroyed, Tlie premises which fell 
a prey to tlie devoiiriug element v;as a large mill or factory, 
the propei'ty of Mr. Joseph Pvaye. The building Avas ten- 
anted by nearly thirty small finishers, most of whom. 
suiiered soTerely by tht* catastrophe. The miU was first 
discovered to be on fire by ]\Ir, Eastv/ood's man, who saw 
the fiajiies raging in the inside of the third story. This was 
about half-past one. He immediately gave the a,larnj, and 
in a few minutes after the flames ijv.rst through the v/indows, 
and finding vent, the dcvast;iLii:g elemeiit spread v.dth. 
amazing rapidity from room to room, uniil the whole build- 
ing was one entire mass of fiaiiie. The scene from the top 
of Chapel Hill, and from Cro:-ilanil IMoor, was one of the 
most awfully magnificent that can bo iniagined. About two 
o'clock the principal part of the roof fell in v/ith a tremen- 
dous crash, carrying the three top floors v^itli it, the others 
soon after following. The firemen used every exertion to 
save the engine house, in which they eventually succeeded. 
By six o'clock the whole building vras an entire mass of 
rubbish, nothing left standing but the bare walls. 

9th. On Sunday and Ivionday evenings, the 9th and lOtli 
of June, the to^vn of Leeds v^as thrown into a state of great 
excitement by a collision bstween the police force of the 
borough, and the x^rivates of the 'JOtli regiment of foot then, 
stationed in the town. It appears that about eight o'clock 
on the Sunday evening, policemen Haigh and Best were 
called into the shop of Mr. Ward, surgeon, Kirkgate, where 
they found a man named Edwiird Thompson, seriously 
wounded. He stated that he had been attacked by two 
soldiers, named O'Brian and Kairn, who were at the Green 
Man beerhouse, York-street, In a short time the police 
succeeded in apprehending the soldiers ; and as the prisoners 
were being conducted to the Coui-t-house, privates Sherburd, 
Carr, and others, attempted their rescue ; took off their 
belts and c^nmenced a furious attack upon Haigh and Best, 
inflicting serious injury upon the latter. Other policemen 
came up, and then ensued a most terrific conflict between 
the two bodies. The men in custody were liberated by the 
s ^Idlers, but were afterwards taken by the policemen in Brig- 
gate. Considerable violence was used on both sides. The 
police succeeded in lodging in prison seven of the military. 
On Monday the prisoners were brought before the magistrates. 
Privates Sherburd and O'Brian were fined £5 each, and in de- 
fault of payment were committed to the house of correction. 

43 



506 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YOTIK, AND 

]b44.— JuXK. 

for two months. The other prisoners were handed over to 
the commanding officer for punishment. On tlie Monday- 
evening some restraint was put upon the military at the 
barracks, notwithstanding which about forty or fifty of them 
got out in small batches, and by pre-arrangement assembled 
at the Green Parrot, Harper-street. About seven o'clock 
they left the public house in a body, armed with sticks, 
bludgeons, &c., on a crusade against the police, and pro- 
ceeded up Kirkgate, into Briggate, (fcc. The police in every 
instance suflFered defeat and disaster ; policeman Wildblood 
narrowly escaped with his life ; policeman Robertson was 
also much hurc and braised, especially on the head and 
arms ; policeman Smith was nearly killed. During the 
affray the streets aud v»^indows in Briggate, Kirkgate, and 
Commercial-street, were crowded with people. The populace 
generally seemed to sympathize Avith the militarj". They 
cheered them on through the streets, and in some instances 
assisted in the riot. At length a piquet arrived to 
quell the disturbance. Some of the members of the corps 
took to' flight at their approach, but a many of fcliem were 
marched to the barracks in Woodhouse-lane. On Tuesday 
evening the military were not suffered to leave the barracks, 
but a rabble infested the streets, and about nine o'clock fell 
upon the police in Kirkgate, pelting them with stones, 
bottles, cfcc. Ultimately a large force of police armed with 
cutlasses, cleared the streets. On Friday, seventeen per- 
sons, were committed to Wakefield house of correction 
for trial at the next borough sessions, namely : — Soldiers — 
Coghlan, O'Brian, Judd, Mac Clauaghan, Vickerman, Har- 
wood, Turner, Mooran, Beaty, and Cosgrave. Civilians — , 
Manassah Flatow, Daniel Davins, William Farrell, Ben- 
jamin Cawood, John James, Silvester Forrest, and John 
Caton. On the 2nd of July after a trial of four days the 
following verdicts were returned against the prisoners : — 
Military — William O'Brian, guilty, to be imprisoned twelve 
months. Patrick Mac Clanaghan, Michael Cc^hlan, and 
John Mooran, guilty, and each sentenced to eight months 
imprisonment. CiviliaovS — Manassah Flatow, guilty of 
common assault, fined £4. John Caton, Daniel Davins, and 
Benjamin Cawood, guilty, and sentenced to short terms of 
imprisonment. The rest of the prisoners were acquitted. 

11th. Charles Bland Child, of Middle-row, Camp-field, and 
John Child, of Brewery-field, Leeds, both brothers, and mar- 
ried men, after drinking together at the Black Lion, Mill-hill, 
until a late hour on the evening of the 11th, commenced quar- 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 507 

1844— .7 VNR. 

reiliiig on tlieir road home, and got to figliting in Camp-field. 
During the fight John stabbed his brother in three or four 
difterent pLices in tlie body, with a clasp-knife. One of tiie 
Avonnds vras three inches deep, and had gone through the 
Inngs and penetrated the heart. The nnfortnnate man only- 
lived a few minutes. John Child was committed to York on 
a charge of manslanghter, and at the summer assizes on the 
20th of July, he was found guilty and transported for 

twenty years. ].3th. Chat Moss, which is traversed by 

the Liverpool and Manchester railway for several miles, took 
fire in three diflerent places, and burned over many hundreds 
of acres. The first fire broke out in a small field near the 
middle of the moss. The flames advanced as rapidly as a 
man could run towards the plantations and farms of Mr. 
Evans, Mr. Baines of Leeds, and other cultivators on 
Barton moss. The flames destroyed a belt of plantation on 
Mr. Evans farm, and another on Mr. Wright's. The second 
fire burst out on the Moss farm, near Bury-lane. It im- 
mediately spread into a wood of fir trees, which it nearly 
destroyed, and from there extended to the plantations. at the 
back of Woolden hall, of ■'.vhich it burnt from forty to fifty 
acres. It then spread across the open moss, burning many 
hundred acres. The third fire broke out close to the new 
road from Astley station to the village of Astley. It spread 
rapidly east and south, so that in a short time the whole 
space between the Liverpool and Manchester railway, and 
the woods on the Worsley estate was a mass of fire. , On the 
north the flames spread into Lord Egerton's v.^oods, rising to 
the tops of the largest trees, and destroying great numbers of 
them. The fire continued its devastating course until Sunday 
•■♦evening, the 16th, when it was nearly burnt out. Large 
quantities of game of all kinds were destroyed. [Camden 
the antiquary states that in the time of Elizabeth a part of 
Chat Moss, raised by the waters from beneath, floated away 
by Glazenbrooke to the Irwell, in the Irish sea ; but there 
has been no instance of any formidable conflagration on the 
moss in the memory of man, before the accident above 
described.] 

24th. Leeds and the Jieighbourhood Avas visited by a violent 
thunderstorm. At two o'clock p.m. the Vt^hole town was 
almost enveloped in darkness. The flashes of lightning were 
very A'i-\dd, and the peals of thunder extremely loud and 
oft repeating. The hot-houses at Swillington hall were 
damaged to the value of several hundred pounds. Mr. 0. 
Grange, carrier, on his vray from Pateley Bridge to Leeds 



508 AIS^NALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AlsD 

1844.— Junk. 

had one of liis Iiorses killed and the other severely in- 
jured. At Horsforth the electric fluid set fire to a cottao-e. 
The branches of a fine tree were splintered, and a cow 
killed belonging to Mr. Stansfeld. At 'Bramley a chimney 
was thrown down and damage done to several dwellings. 
At Pudsey a large hay stack was completely severed in two 
and set on fire. Several houses were unroofed at Bannck- 
.in-Elmet. At Giidorsome two women, one the wife of Mr. 
Hartley, manufacturer, and the other named Harrison, were 
struck by the lightning and seriously injured. The storm 
did much damage at Hudderstield, Hooding the streets in 
the lower part of the town four or live feet deep. At 
Halifax the streets in a line u4th Gibbet-street and Ctcav- 
street were covered with a broad stream of considerp„ble 
depth. At Billingley, near Barnsley, Mr. Micklethwaite 
had a mare and foal killed. A calf and sheep belonging to 
Mr. Russell, of Hoyland, were killed. Mrs:. Barker, of 
Edwardthorpe, had a calf killed vrhilst held in a string hj a 
little girl, who was unhurt. At Selby, v/ith the i.iU of the 
rain, there was a shower of frogs. Several were caught in 
their descent by holding out liat?, for that purpt^se. Tliey 
. were about the size of a horse bean and renicirkabiy lively 
after their aerial but wiugless flight. 

[Whire in Li.':! Naturil History of Selborne (Bohii'.s edition, 
page 70), ridicules the idea of frogs dropping from the chjud.s in 
rain ; but the editor of that work, in a foot note, says, " I was once 
witness to a swarm of very small frogs, which suddenly made their 
appearance after a very heavy rain, in a garden 1 occnpied atFulham. 
The garden was completely surrounded by a high wall. The entrance 
to it was through the house. It was a dry gravel ; and there was no 
moist place in it in which the spawn of frogs could have he^i 
deposited. The garden also had been well trenched and no frogs 
found in it. There also were no drains communicating with ic. I 
merely mention the fact, without pretending to account for the cir- 
cumstance of so many thousands of young frogs, just out of the tad- 
pole state, being found in the garden. Mr. Loudon saw a simibr 
occurrence at Eouen.] 

On the ISih Vv^as celebrated the opening of the IN'ewcastle 
and Darlington junction raihvay, which completed a chain 
of uninterinipted communication betv/een IS'ewcastle and 
London. The special train, which conveyed a party of 
directors and friends from London to Nevv^castle on the 
occasion, accomplished the journey, 303 miles, in nine 

hours an<I thirty -two minutes. 25 th. Mr. John Andrew, 

jun., of Leeds, travelling secretary to the Temperance Society, 
being about to locate himself at Scarbro', his friends partook 



THE SURROUXDING DISTRICT. 509 

1S44.— July. 

of tea togctlier at tlie Music-hall ; after wliicli, an aflfec- 
tionate address, neatly framed and engrossed on vellnm, 
together x-rith a purse of sixty sovereigns, ^vas presented to 
him as a testimonial of esteem for his long and valuable 
services in the temperance cause. 

Julj- lOch. A grand procession of the Oddfellows of the 
Maucliester Unity, Leeds district, took place, and a gala 
for the beneht of the Widows and Orphans Fund in connec- 
tion with the same order was Jield at the Leeds Botanical 
Gardens, The procession st?.rted from the White Cloth- 
hall in the following order : — 

Marshahr.ei on hore'iack; cro-vn of flou'er-, borne b.r ^reiTibers of 
the order; bind of inusic, in military u ifbnn, succeeded by the 
easily German-.-^ilver insignia of the L v rpool district, as follows: — 
Shepherds' crook, borne by the P.G.M. of the Leeds district, Mr. 
Dixon Croft; crczier, home by Mr. John Geve.-^, D.G.M. of the 
Leeds district; cross pens, borne by ]Mr. Alexander, provincial cor- 
responding secretary; cross ke^'s, borne by Mr. James Brown, district 
treasurer ; lamb and flag, borne by P.P.G.M., Mr. Jonathan Taylor. 

The following also forming part of the same elegant regalia, 
were borne by Past Grand Masters : — 

Two sceptres, with crowns; two maces, with crnwns; pair o- glo^ifs 
with hand and heart ; two sceptres, with cro'».s, sun, moon, and stars; 
members of the OrJer four abreast, wearing rosettes anrl white gloves; 
arms of the Order, ^mblazened on bl'ie silk ; hand of music, in 
military uniform ; eight coaches, containing widows and orphans ; 
carriagfs and otiier vehicles, containing members and friends ; band 
of music, in military uniform, preceded by banner, members four 
abreast, wearing rosettes and white glo\es; banner, crown, and 
cushion, carried by four boys, &c., ike. 

15th. The Dissenters Chapel Bill passed the House of 

Lords by a majority of five to one. 18th. At the York 

Assizes this day a verdict of manslaughter was returned 
against Thomas E,ogan, John O'Brian, Daniel Donavan, Wm. 
Quinn, and Daniel Power, on an indictment for the wilful 
murder of Benjandn Gott. at Bradford, on the 27th of May 
last. On that day there were processions of several Orange 
lodges in Bradford and the neighbouring ^dllages, accom- 
panied by bands of music, of which the deceased was a bugle 
player. The prisoners commenced a furious attack on the 
musicians of the Calverley and Idle band as they were pro- 
ceeding on the Undercliff-road, in consequence of their 
having played some objectionable tunes, such as " Croppies 
lie do-\vn," and " Boyne water,'' and inflicted such injury on 
Gott that he died in two days after. The prisoners were 
each sentenced to transportation for life. 



510 ANNAL3 OF LEEDS, YOUK, AND 

1844--Aurr. 

Augast 3rd, A female Ijo-amis!:, wibli a lialter round lier 
neck, was sold for five sliillings, in tlie butter and poultry, 
market, Leeds, by her first Imsbaud, Geo, Woodhead, servant 
to Mr. Allen, farmer and butcher, at Hemsv/orth, near Don- 
caster, to her second husband, William Idle, collier, of 
Ousleweli Green, near Hothv/ell, The ]:)orough magistrates 
hearing of the affJxir summonsed Woodhead, and required 
liim to enter into his own recognizances of £20, and his 
masters' surety for other £'20, for his good behaviour during 
tv/elve nn.mths. Shortly after the v>^ife was commxitted to 
York Castle ti> take her trial for bigamy, and was convicted, 
and suffered imprisonment, 5th, Ezekial Briggs, sex- 
ton of Biugley Parish Cliurch, died, aged 84, He had filled 
the ofB.ce d.uring the whole of the present century, and in 
that time had interred upwards of 6,400 persons. 

During the execution of William Saville, aged 29, at 
Nottingham, who was convicted at the late assizes of the 
wilful murder of his v\''ife and three children, by cutting 
their tlirOcits, the crowd at the execution v/as so immense 
and tlie crush so tremendous that thirteen persons were 
trampled to death, and more than one hundred received in- 
juries, The proprietors of the Leeds I^^ev,^ Gas Com- 

panjf presented to Mr, Alcock, their manager, a gratuitj'- 
of one hundred guineas, as a tribute of respect. 

9th, Leeds Vioahage Act, — At the close of the year 1343, 
the .Rev. Dr, Hook, then Yicar of Leeds, (now Dean of 
Chichester,) proposed a plan for the division of the pa,rish and 
vicarage into a large number of district parishes and vicar- 
ages, and at a meeting of the Ecclesiastical Comm.is3io.ners, 
held in January, 1844, they assented to the general princi- 
ples of the intended ai-rangements. The bill received the 
E-oyal assent on the 9th of August, and cost the vicar from 
£600 to £700: By this measure the vicir relinquished much 
j)a.tronage and emolument, and perhaps no bill that 
affected so large a number of persons passed through Parlia- 
ment Vvdth so little opposition. The churches at present 
(1859) constituted district parish churches and vicarages under 
the provisions of this act o.re : — St. John's ; St. Andrew's ; 
St. Saviour's ; All Saints' ; St. Stenhen's ; St. Mary the 
Virgin, Ilunslet ; St. Jude's, Eunsle!: ; St. John 'the Evan- 
gelist, Little Holbeck ; St. John the Baptist, >Tew Wortley ; 
St. Matthias, Burley ; St. Michael's, Buslingfchorpe ; Holy 
Trinity, Meanwood ; St. Michael's, Farnley. Before a church 
can become a separate vicarage under this act the entire 
sittings in the body of the church must be free. 

14th. The Leeds Tov/'n Council authorL-^ed the Scavenging 



THE SUEROrXDING DISTRICT. 511 

1844.— Aug. 

Committee to contract ^yitll tlie patentees of the street- 
STveeping machine, for the supply of one cart, for sweeping 
the streets. 28th. At the'saw mills of Mr. John Town- 
send, Aire-street, Leeds, a log of mahogany was sa%\Ti, in 
the YBYj midst of which, and quite surrounded -with so and 
timber, was found a honey-comb, (of the humble bee) of 
considerable size, with the cells very perfect, and emitting a 
very strong smell of honey. 

September. Bramley, near Leeds, was first lighted with 

gas. 10th. Died, suddenly, at Leamington, Mrs. Hook, 

mother of the Rev. W. F. Hook, D. D. , vicar of Leeds. 

26th. The annual meeting of the British Association for 
. the Advancement of Science commenced at York. At this 
meeting Lord B.o5se described his great reflecting telescope, 
the speculum of which has a diameter of six feet. It weighs 
nearly four tons, and has a tube of fifty feet focal length. 
By tliis wonderful instrument, nebulre irresolvable have 
been resolved into systems of stars, thus destrojung the 
foundations of the nebular hypothesis. 

Oct. 1st. The new factory act having commenced operation 
this day, about 3,000 factory workers in Leeds, mostly 
females struck work on account of the supposed obuoxious- 

ness of some of its provisions. 12th. Louis Phillipe, 

king of the French, was at this time in England on a \'isit 

to Queen Victoria. -23rd. The Masonic brethren from 

ihe several lodges in the province of Vv^est- Yorkshire met in 
the large room, E-oyal Hotel, Halifax, to present a y)iece of 
plate to Charles Lee, Esq., of Leeds, as a token of theij- 
esteem. The plate consists of two splendid wine vases of 
frosted silver, the sides of which are OT)en fret work, and 
lined inside with crimson glass. Round the rims of the 
vases, on the pedestal are grapes and vine leaves, with 
masonic emblems, beautifully carved. On the top is a silver 
wire trellising to hold a bouquet of flowers. They are 
supported on two silver stands, similarly ornamented, on 
one of which is engraved the following inscription : — 

" PrPsenteJ to Charles Lee, Esq., right \vor.shipfuI deputy provincial 
grand master of the ancient free and accepted masons of West-York- 
ishire, by his affectionate brethren, in grateful testimony of his high 
moral excellence, and sterling masonic worth, as well as of the con- 
summate skill, and finer^^etic zeal which our exalted brother has so 
devotedly and successfully exerted in his arduous and responsible office, 
to promote the pro^perit}-, weal, and stability of our sacred order. 
A.D., 1S44; A.L., o, 843." 

24th. General Tom Thumb, alias Charles S. Stratton, the 
American man in miniature, was exhibited in Leeds at this 



512 ANNALS OP LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1844— .Nov. 

time. He stood only twenty-five inclies high, with his 

boots ; was 13 years of age, and vv^eighed fifteen pounds. 

ISTov. A fine marble bust of Dr. Hook, vicar of Leeds, 
from the chisel of Mr. Keyv/orth of Hull, was presented to 
Mrs. Hook, by nearly 20J subscribers, as a testimony of 
esteem. 

Leeds Municipal Election E^;iraordi?iary. 

July 24th, Brainlej War 1, [Danel Hainsworth.] 

LKEDS MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS, 1st November, 1844, 

The names in brackets were elected. 
Mill-Hill, [Thomas Nunneley, L, and Edwin Birchall, jun., L.] 

West, [Joseph Richardson, R, and Geo. Robson, R ] North- 

West, f J. W. Smith, L, 244 ;] John Barrett, L, 137- North, 

[Joseph Horner, jun] North-East, [William Heywood, C, 

359 ;j William Hartley-, R, 180. East, [Jaines Dufton, R.] 

KiRKGATK, [Richard Stead, C, 19-2;] Robert Wriuht, L, 161 j 

John Wales, L, 9. South, [H. Gresham, L, 106 ;] John Clarkson, 

R, 4.') HuNSLET, [Joshua^ Bower, R, 238 ;] Richard Bayldon, 

L, 76- HoLBKCK, [Jonathan Shackleton, L, 636; William Brook, 

R, 543 ;] D. W. Nell, L, 473. Bramlk,y,[E. S. Calvert, L, and 

Benjamin Wilson, jun , E.] Headijs^gley, [Joseph Whitham, L, 

75 ;i William Scott, C, 46. 

November 9th. Darnton Lupton, Esq., elected Mayor. 
November 16th. West- Ward, vice Carbutt, Aid., Joseph Gill. 
Hnnslet Ward, vice Bower, Aid., William West. 

The following gentlemen were elected aldermen : — 

Nov. 9th Charles Gascoigne Maclea, John Hope Shaw, Henry 

Cowper Marshall, Matthew Gannt, Joseph Henry Gates, Joseph 

Bateson, Joshua Bower, Francis Carbutt. 

21st. The Poor-Law Commissioners issued an order that 
the administration of the laws for the relief of the poor in 
the township of Leeds, should on the 23rd of December, 
1844, and thenceforth be governed and administered by a 
board of (18) guardians. The result of the first election was 
declared on the 21st of December, by Robert* Hall, Esq. to 
be as follows. Those within brackets were elected : — 

East, (John Cawoo'1, C, 666 ,• W. B. Hainsworth, C, 599 ;) Joseph 

Watson, L, 2/6 ; George Hammond, L, 223. Kirkgate, (James 

Stables, C, 284 ; Daniel Wise, C, 246 ;) C. T. Tiffany, L, 146 ; Joseph 

Linsley, L, 142 Mill-Hill, (Charles Scarbrough, C, 458 ; Wm. 

Reinhardt, C, 436; John Morfitt, C, 379;) Richard Bis-ington, L, 
300; Joseph Town, L, 293; Thomas Harvey, L, 256; Joseph 

Dickinson, R, 18. North, (James Ward, C, 732 ; Mark W^alker, 

C, 725 ;) John Holmes, L, 326 ; Matthew Johnson, L, 255. 



THE SURHOUN-DIXG DISTRICT. 513 

1844.— Nov, 
NomH-E:Vsr. (John Mct.Mlfe, C, 92! ; William Erook, Pv, 852;) 

Joseph Woodhea-l. L, l98; Richard UMey, L, 1^8. North- 

Wkst, (Charles Bou^fieli, C, 717; John Ayrer, R, 57^;) Johu 

Jmvitf, L, 427; ^ohn Wade, L. 308. Sourn, (Martia Cawood, C, 

292; .John Jackson, K, 2.')8;) Samuel Croft, L, 204; John Taylor, 

L, 164. Wksf, (P. L Atkinson, C, ^26 ; Roloert Beiin, C,809; 

Daniel Atkinson, C, J^5 ;) Arthur Lupton, L, 569 ; George Wis?, L, 
567; r>'njamin SherA^orv.3, L, 5 '4. John Cawood wis elected chair- 
man, and John Bec'< vith clerk to the iioard. 

Leeds is not in inii'oa, like some iioiglibouriiig towns, tlie 
j)ersoiis who compose the Board of Guardians being chosen 
for the township ;ilone, and having nothing whatever to do 
with the affairs of ^ i j 'n-i-i. . ■, ^-ships. Tne coUection of the 
rates devolves up. ■: c .-j'ers, or their assistants ; but 

it is the province ■.'i \\i.j g ■ irhans to receive a,ll applications 
for relief, and to decide on the amount to be given in each 
case, either on the statement made by the applicant, per- 
sonally, or on the report famished by the relieving officer, 
after visiting the family. The board is subject to the con- 
trol of the Poor Law Board, at Somerset Huase, by whom 
inspectors are sent, specially, or poriodicaliy, to investigate 
and report to the siiperior authorities. The board meets 
every Wednesday, at half-past two o'clock. 

30th. The Avife of William Smith, a poor journeyman 
shoemaker, in a lodging-house, J-To. 39, York-street, Leeds, 
gave birth to three hue boys, though the first was the least 
of the three. They were baptized Abraham, Isaac, and 
Jacob. 

Dec. 4th. A large meeting of free trade electors was held 
in the Music-hall, Leeds, to hear addresses from Richard 
Cobden, Esq., M.P., and John Bright, Esq., M.P. 

10th. At the York assizes William Kendrew was found 
gi.iilty of the wilful murder of Yv^illiam Inchbold, of Low 
Dinsworth, near Boroughbridge. He was executed on the 
29th of December. 

1845. Jan. A long inquiry took place before John Black- 
burn, Esq., the Leeds borough coroner, in reference to the 
death of Elizabeth lUingworth, the v/ife of Wilham Illing- 
worth, clockmaker, of Wortley-iane, Leeds, who had died 
from tlie euects of poison, and under circumstances of gi^eat 
suspicion, on the 12th of December, 1844. The coroner's 
inquiry resulted in a committal to York-castle, on a charge 
of wilful murder of Ann Simpson, a married woman, kept 
by the husband cf the deceased. Sh(3 was tried a,t York on 
March 18th, and was acquitted. She subsequently left 



514 AXNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1845 ^Jan. 

England for Am eric?. Avith lUmgwortli. On the even- 
ing of the 12th a dense fog prevailed in Wakefield and the 
neighbourhood. The Leeds coach was upwards of four 
hours in travelling to that place. It was necessary to lead 
the horses, and blazing torches were carried by the side of 
the coach. Tra,in3 upon the railway had a difficulty in find- 
ing the stations, and one of them actually ran nearly four 
miles past the Wakefield station, before the engine-driver 
discovered his mistake. 

February 8th. Died, in his 70th year, James BischofF, 
Esq., of Highbury-terrace, near London, and formerly of 
Leeds. He was prominently connected with the trade of 
Yorkshire. He was the author of a work, in two octavo 
volumes, embellished with some good plates, entitled "A 
Comprehensive History of the Woollen and Worsted Manu- 
facturers, and the l^Tatural and Commercial History of 
Sheep, from the earliest records to the present period," and 
of several valuable pamphlets intended to promote the 
repeal of the duties on wool and corn. Mr. BischolF was 
very highly esteemed both in public and private life, and 
few men have acquired or deserved more full}^ the attach- 
ment of their friends. He was brother of the late Thomas. 
Bischoff, Esq., and brother-in-l?.(W of Messrs. Stansfeld, of 
Leeds ; having married Miss M. Stansfeld, by whom he had 
three sons, James, George, and Josiah, and five daughters. 
His family vfas of German extraction, and boasts among its 

ancesters the Reformer, Episcopius. 19tli. A grand 

soiree of the Leeds Mechanics' Institution and Literary 
Society took place in the Music-hall. Edward Baines, jun., 
Esq., president of the society, occupied the chair, and the 
meeting was addressed by Lord Morpeth and others. At 
this meeting the chairman presented to Mr. H. J. Marcus, 
one of the secretaries, a valuable and handsomely bound copy 
of Halem's Constitutional History of England, his History 
of the Middle Ages, and his History of Literature, and to 
Mr. James Kitson, the other secretarj'", a splendid volume 
of Simms's Public Works of Great Britain, for the important 
services they had rendered to the institution. 

Sir Thomas Potter, a benevolent and energetic Reformer, 
was born at Tadcaster, Yorkshire, April 5th, 1774, died at 
his residence, Buile-hill, near Manchester, March 20th, 1845, 
in the 71 st year of his age, the third son of Mr. John Potter, 
a Liberal politician, who, possessed of superior abilities, 
and enjoying the esteem of his neighbours and friends, cul- 
tivated a farm of about three hundred acres, called Wingate- 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 515 

1S45. — March. 

hill, near Tadcaster. His son Thomas, engaging in the 
duties of the farm, was so industrious, intelligent, and suc- 
cessful, that he gained prizes for superior cultivation, and 
was soon entrusted by his father with the sole management 
of the farm. In this pursuit Thomas Potter acquired tastes 
and skill, the exercise of vrhich he continued throughout his 
life. Already his brothers, William av.d EicLard, had 
established themselves in Manchester as general merchants, 
when, in 1803, Thomas, seeing that, however profitable 
agriculture had proved in his hands, the general Manchester 
business, then rising into importance, afforded a far superior 
field for intelligent and industrious enterprise, removed to 
the great centre of the cotton trade, and, in partnership 
with the brothers, began a concern which he conducted till 
his death, and from the proceeds of which he realised a 
handsome fortune, as well as obtained resources for a 
generous hospitality, and an almost profuse beneficence. 
Thomas Potter was elected Maj^or of Manchester when it 
became a corporate town. In the second year of his 
mayoralty, Her Majesty, on the 1st of July, 1840, conferred 
on him the honour of knighthood. He was twice married. 
In 1807 he married Miss Palmer, of York, who died in 
1810, leaving two daughters. In 1812 he married Esther, 
■daughter of Thomas Bayley, Esq., of Booth Hall, near 
Manchester, by whom he had Thomas Potter and Jolm 
Potter, merchants. 

March 22nd. A cause was tried, by special jury, at York, 
for defamation of character, in which ISIr. W. James, police- 
superintendent, Leeds, was plaintiff, and Mr. William Brook, 
tobacconist, and one of the town council of the borough, 
was the defendant. The action arose out of statements 
made by the defendant, to the effect that the plaintiff had 
had criminal connection at the Police-office with two women 
of the town, named Sheldon and Lister. The jury returned 
a verdict for the plaintiff, damages £45. 

26th. St. Andrew's church, at the foot of St. Peter's-hill, 
Park-lane, Leeds, was consecrated by the Right Reverend 
the Lord Bishop of Ripon. This church has a district 
attached to it under Sir Robert Peel's act, and was built by 
subscription, in affectionate regard to the memory of the 
late Mrs. Sinclair, -wife of the Rev. W. Sinclair, the late 
incumbent of St. George's. It is a neat fabric, in the early 
English style, from designs by George Gilbert Scott, Esq., 
of London. There are 852 free sittings, also a good organ. 
The benefice is now a vicarage, valued at £185, and is in the 



516 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK AND 

1845. — Aprii. 

patronage of the trustees. The E-ev. B. Crosthw-aite, M. A., 

is YlGaT. 

Guarcllans of tlie Poor for tlie township of Lesds elected 
April 5th, 1845 : — 

EastWahd, .lohn Cawood, W. B. Flains'.vorth. Kirkgate, 

Jolm Braiihvvaite. Heiirr Waddington. Mill Hill, Charles 

Sccirliroiigh, J(,hn IMorfltt, Georye Crabtree. North. James Ward, 

Mark Walker- NortcH Easp, John Metcalf, William Brook. 

North Wkst, Joepli \Yoo'', John Ajrey. ^outk, Thomas 

Wilson, .lolin .»ark-<on. West, contested, Ruliert Bean, 873; 

Daniel Atkinson, 8/7 : Peter L:i\v Atkinson, 760 ; defeated, Thomas 
Clarkson, 2G9. Jolm Ca^A'ood was elected chairman. 

May 2nd, In consequence of I^elson, the clo^^ai at Cook's 
circus, then at Yarmouth, having undertaken to swim in a 
tub drawn by four geese, from the drawbridge on the quay, 
to the suspension bridge across the north river, about 306 
persons had collected on the suspension bridge to witness the 
feat. The bridge gave way, and precipitated them into the 
river. The scene vais of a most heart-rending description. 
150 unfoi-tunate creatures met vdth a watery grave. 

13th, The National Land company was founded by Fergus 
O'Connor, and adopted by a national convention of the 
chartist body. The company was subsequently wound up by 
the court of Chancery. The whole of the property being 
swallowed up in costs, 

14th, The Leeds Town Council resolved to enlarge the 
Court-house, Park-row, at a cost of £9.000. 

16th. Tavo silver waiters, a tea and coffee service, ink- 
stand, and basket were presented to the Pev. Joseph Holmes, 
D.D., on his retiring from the curacy of Trinity church, 
Leeds, by the congregation, as a token of their high resjject 
and regard toAvards him, as curate of that church during a 
period of fourteen j^ears. 

An exhibition, styled the Leeds Polytechnic Exhibition, 
Avas open at this time at the Music-hall. The object of 
which was to provide public Avalks and baths for the people. 

21st. Anthony Titley, Esq,, of the firm of Titley, Tatham, 
and Walker, flax spinners, and a mo.gistrate of the borough 
of Leeds, died very suddenly, at his residence, Wortley 
Lodge, Mr. Titley Avas much respected for his beneA^'olent 
disposition and unassuming demeanour. 

June 6th. Died, John Marshall, Esq. , at his seat, Hall- 
steads, near Penrith, in the eightieth year of his age. The 
deceased Avas a native of Leeds, and is one of the most 
remarkable instances of men who have risen by their OAvn 



THE SUKEOUKDIXG DISTKICT. 517 

1845.— June. 

talents, perseverance, and enterprise, from moderate circum- 
stances (liis father is said to have occupied the shop, number 
one, at the bottom of Briggate), to the possession of a 
splendid fortune, and to a degree of honour and influence 
rarely attained but by the aristocracy of the land. Mr. 
Marshall was among the first persons in the county to 
attempt the spinning of flax by machinery, and his first 
manufactory was at Scotland mill, three or four miles from 
Leeds ; after which he built the large mills in Water-lane, 
and also mills at Slirewsbury. At the general election of 
1826, he was returned as one of the members for York- 
shire, and continued as such until 1830. It was at that time 
an unprecedented thing for a manufacturer to be elected 
member for Yorkshire. The family of Mr. Marshall was 
large, consisting of five sons and six daughters. It became 
allied by a triple union "with that of Lord Monteagie. The 
noble lord himseK married Miss Marshall, and two of his 
daughters were united to Mr. James and Mr. Henry 
Marshall. Another daughter was married to Professor Whe- 
well, master of Trinity college, Cambridge. It is believed 
that the deceased amassed in landed and personal property, at 
least, a million and a haK sterling. His will was ]3-oved on 
the 4:th of July. The personal property, within the pro- 
vince of Canterbury, was sworn under £160,000. His sons, 
William, Henry Cowper, and James Garth were the execu- 
tors- To his wife, he left an annuity of £3,000 for life, and 
a legacy of £60,000 absolutely. To his daughter. Lady 
Monteagie, a legacy of £20,000 ; and a legacy of £20,000 to 
each of his other married daughters, and left to each of them 
a large share from the residue of his personal estate. To 
his daughter, Ellen, £30,000, and large pecuniary bequests 
to others of the familj^, and legacies to his servants. To his 
eldest son, William, he left his mansion at Hallsteads, a,s 
well as his securities and stock in Pennsylvania and Ohio. 
Mr. Marshall's politics were of that shade termed Whig- 
Radical, and he nobly supported his party m ith his purse 
and personal influence, in various parts of Yorkshire, and 
especially in Leeds. Though a decided partizan himself, 
lie was liberal and tolerant with regard to others ; he was, 
however, one of the most strenuous opponents of factory 
legislation, but in these respects he did but follow the 
general bent of the manufacturing interest at that period. 
In private life he was amiable and unassuming. 

19th. The new burial gTound for the township of Hunslet, 
situate at Woodhouse-hill, was opened. The ground was 

44 



518 ANKALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1845.— July. 

provided by tlie town council, under the provisions of an 
act passed in 1842, entitled, *' An Act for providing addi- 
tional burial grounds in the parish of Leeds, in the West- 
Biding of the county of York." The cost was about £6,000, 
and comprises about ten acres. One-half is consecrated for 
the use of the established church. The Rev. Edward Wilson, 
B. A. , is chaplain of the consecrated portion, and the Rev. 
A. Pickles of the unconsecrated portion. 

July 8th. Died, Mrs. Lawrence, of Studley Park, the 
daughter of Wm. Lawrence, of Kirkby Fleetham, and 
grand-daughter of the late William Aislabie, Esq. , of Studley 
Boyal, to whose estates she succeeded in 1808, and was bom 
at Kensington on the 18th Feb. , 1761. By her will, she gave 
her estates at Studley, Fountain's, Ripon, Limdrick, Little- 
thorpe-with-Whitcliffe, Oldfiold, and places south of the 
river Ure, to the Earl de Grey, except Kirkby Malzeard, 
the moors of Fountain's Earth, and Hackfall, which were 
given to the Earl of Ripon. To the latter nobleman she 
also gave her estates in the neighbourhood of Ripon, north 
of the river Ure, including Hutton Conyers, Sharrow, Copt 
Hewick, (fee. , <fec. To each of these noblemen the property was 
limited for life, and then to go to Lord Goderich, son of the 
Earl of Ripon. Her estates in Leicestershire she gave to 
Sir Cornwallis Rickett ; her estates in Kirkby Fleetham 
and Clint to Mr. Waller. Also legacies to the following : — 
the Yice-Chancellor of England and family, £30,000 ; Rev. 
James Charnock, £15,000 ; Miss Rebecca Charnock, £7,000 ; 
Miss Charnock, £2,000 ; Rev. John Charnock, £6,000; Rob- 
son's family, of Holtby, £9,000 ; Mr. Morton, her steward, 
£1,000 ; Dr. Quinn, her physician, £1,000 ; the Ripon Diocesan 
Church Building Society, £5,000 ; to the Ripon Dispensary, 
York Lunatic Asylum, Harrogate Hospital, Leeds In- 
firmary, Middlesex Hospital, the Rev. Robt. Poole, Miss 
Booth, and Miss Kelly, each, £1,000 ; Rev. J. Clarke, in 
trust for his family, £2,000 ; with legacies to the families 
of Sir Robert Rickett, Sir William Young, <fec. ; she also 
gave annuities to her domestic servants, varying from £10 

to £70 a year. The Railway mania was at this time at 

its height in London, Liverpool, Leeds, and Manchester. 
In these four great marts millions of money were turned 
over almost daily, and all ranks of the people, hardly except- 
ing the operative class, partook in speculative feeling. 
Leeds was the leading share market for Yorkshire, and the 
operations there had a considerable influence on the move- 
ments in Lancashire. In July Leeds is said to have 



THE SURROIJNDING DISTRICT. 519 

1845.— July. 

had at least 120 stock and share brokers, on and off the 
exchanges. The streets round about the three stock ex- 
changes were at times thronged with anxious sjDeculators 
and brokers. It was not an uncommon thing for one 
hundi-ed thousand railway shares to be sold in one day in 
the Leeds share market. Early in August, in consequence of 
the amalgamation of several of the West Riding railway com- 
panies and a sudden and extraordinary advance in the price 
of shares, great embarrassment was caused amongst specu- 
lators by the absolute inability of vast numbers to fulfil 
their bargains, many having sold shares without possessing 
them, under the impression that they would be able to buy 
them in at a lower price before the time for delivery. The 
consequence was that thousands were ruined and scores of 
thousands suffered heavy loss. The mania exceeded in its 
extent and approached in its wildness any former instance 
of popular delusion. 

In the spring of this year (1845) the Lord's Commissioners 
of the AdmiraUty determined on sending out an expedition 
to the arctic regions, in search of a north-west passage. The 
command was given to Sir John Franklin. The Erebus 
and Terror, the two vessels forming the expedition, with 
Captains Crozier and Fitzjames, 1 35 men in all — left the 
Thames on the 24th of May, 1845. The last dispatch received 
from Sir John was dated 12th of July the same year, from the 
Whalefish Islands. The voyagers were not expected home 
before the close of 1847 ; but that time having arrived 
without any intelligence of the ships, Government sent out 
in the early part of 1848, a searching expedition in three 
divisions. It returned -without any tidings of the missing 
crew. For years, expedition after expedition was sent out 
for the same object, and more than once search had to be 
made for the searchers, until at length, Government refused 
any further assistance. It became a settled conviction v/ith 
almost everybody, save one — the brave woman in whom con- 
jugal devotedness stUl kept burning the fires of faith and 
hope — tha,t the explorers had perished. Lady Franklin had 
ah-eady sent out four private expeditions ; she determined to 
send yet one more, and that one was successful in ascertain- 
ing the fate of Sir John and his companions. The command 
of this expedition was entrusted to Captain M'Clintock, who 
left England in the yacht Fox, on the 1st of July, 1857, and 
returned on the 21st of September, 1859. The captain 
found at Point Victory, upon the north- west coast of^^King 
William's Island, a record, in a tin case among a quantity 



520 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 
184.").— July. 

of loose stones, signed by Captains Crozier and Fitzjames, 
giving the information " that her majesty's ships Erebus and 
Terror spent their first winter at Beechy Island, after having 
ascended Wellington Channel to lat, 77^ I*^. , and returned 
by the west side of Cornwallis Island. On the 12th of 
September, 1846, they were beset in lat. 70"^ 05' N. and Ion. 
98° 23' W. Sir John Franklin died on the 11th June, 1847. 
On the 22nd April, 1848, the ships were abandoned five 
leagues to the N. N. W, of Point Victory, and the survivors, 
a handred and five in number, landed here under the com- 
mand of Captain Crozier." This paper was dated 25th April, 
1848, and upon the following day they intended to start for 
the Grreat Fish River, or Back's River. The total loss by 
deaths in the expedition up to this date was nine oflicers and 
fifteen men. A vast quantity of clothing and stores of all 
sorbs lay strewed about, as if every article was thrown av^ay 
which could possibly be dispensed with ; pickaxes, shovels, 
boats, cooking utensils, iron work, rope, blocks, canvas, 
a dip circle, a sextant, engraved ' Frederick Hornby, R.N".,' 
a small medicine chest, oars, cfec. A few miles southward, 
across Back Bay, a second record was found, having been 
deposited by Lieutenant Gore and M. des Voeux in May, 
1847. It afforded no additional information. In lat. 69^ 
09' N., and long. 99" 27' W., a large boat was discovered, 
which had no doubt been intended for the ascent of the Fish 
River, but it was abandoned apparently upon a return 
journey to the ships, the sledge upon which she was mounted 
being pointed in that direction. She measured 28 feet in 
length by 7^ feet wide, and was most carefully fitted, and 
made as light as possible, but the sledge was of solid oak, 
and almost as heavy as the boat. A large quantity of 
clothing was found Avithin her, also two human skeletons. 
One of these lay in the after part of the boat, under a pile 
of clothing ; the other, which was much more disturbed, 
probably by animals, was found in the bow. Five pocket 
watches, a large quantity of silver spoons and forks, and a 
few religious books, were also found, but no journals, pocket- 
books, or even names upon any articles of clothing. Two 
double-barrelled guns stood upright against the boat's side, 
precisely as they had been placed eleven years before. One 
barrel in each was loaded and cocked ; there was ammunition 
in abundance, also 30tt) or 401b of chocolate, some tea, and 
tobacco. Fuel was not wanting ; a drift-tree lay within 100 
yards of the boat. An intelligent old woman, whom Captain 
M'Clintock found on King William's Island, told him that 



THE SUKROUXDIXG DISTRICT. 521 

1845.— July. 

it was in the fall of the year when the ships got fixed in the 
ice. and that " many of the white men dropped by t)]e way 
as they went towards the great river. " This was ascertained 
by the natives the year after, when the bodies of the unfor- 
tunate men were discovered. Ten miles eastward of Cape 
Herschel was discovered "a bleached skeleton," around which 
lay fragments of European clothing. A small pocket-book 
was found among the snow, the contents of which may yet 
be dechiphered. This poor fellow is conjectured to have 
been an officer's servant, or steward, whose strength failed 
biTTi on the route, and who fell there to die. From the above 
and other records found by Captain M'Clintock, coupled 
with the fact that Dr. Rae, in July, 1854, met a party of 
Esquimaux who told him they had found the bodies of thirty 
white men, it is supposed that not one survivor remains of 
the ill-fated Franklin expedition. 

14th. Id the council chamber at the Leeds Court-house, 
Edward Baines, Esq. in the chair, was presented to IVIr. 
Luke Marsh, an elegant and valuable silver epergne and 
fruit basket, and to Matthew Johnson, Esq. , an elegant and 
valuable silver tea-pot, and ink-stand, as tokens of esteem 
for their long and efficient services as overseers of the poor. 
Mr. Marsh's present bore the following inscription : — 

" Presented to Liike Marsh, Esq., as a token of respect for his un- 
tiring zeal, and efficiency a.s a member of the Leeds Workhouse 
Board, during a period of fifteen years. May, 1845." 

Mr. Johnson's bore the f ollo^ving inscription : — 
" Pre-^ented to Matthew Johnson, Esq., as a token of esteem and 
respect for his able and efficient services in parochial business 
during the twenty-one years he has been a member of the Leeds 
"Workhouse Board. May, 1845." 

lOtli. A dreadful fire occurred in !^Tew York, America, 
which destroyed three hundred buildings, jnost of them 
large — from three, four, and five stories high, and occupied 
principally by importing and other merchants. The damage 
was estimated at a million and a haK sterling. 

The 102nd annual Wesleyan conference commenced in 
Leeds, on "^'ednesday the 30th of July. 

August 28th. A public dinner patronized by all the magis- 
trates of the district, &g. , was given to all men and women 
in Saddleworth, aged 77 years and upwards ; of which 
dinner 132 old people partook, whose individual ages 
averaged more than 80 years. 

Sejjt. Mrs. Bacon, of Bradford, made an endowment to 



522 ANNALS OP LEEDS, YORK, AND 

] 845.— Sept. 

Airedale college of £8,000, vested in the 3 per cent consols, 

the interest of which is to be expended in the education of 

the students in the college, preparing for the exercise of the 

christian ministry amongst the Independent churches. 

10th. The Rev. J. E. Giles having resigned the ministry 
of the Baptist chapel. South-parade, Leeds, to accept a pas- 
torship at Bristol, a public meeting was held in the chapel, Dr. 
Smiles in the chair, for the purpose of conveying to the Ilev. 
gentleman a public expression of thanks, and of hearing a 
farewell address on religious freedom. 24th. Five per- 
sons were killed by the bursting of a boiler at Victoria mill, 
Batley-carr, near Dewsbury, namely : — John Foster, (22) 
John Clarkson, (25) Joseph Brook, (16) John Stead, (17) 
and Maria Leather, (15). 

Oct. 8th. The Leeds town council resolved to rent a field 
in AVoodhouse-lane, at the end of Cobourg-street, in which 
the summer and winter horse and cattle fairs should be held, 
instead of Upperhead-row, and the neighbourhood. 

20th. A railway engine which was sent from the Masbro' 
station to assist the mail train on the Midland railway, ran 
into the latter near Cudworth, thereby causing the death of 
Wm. Fuller Boteler, Esq. , of Oulton, near Leeds, one of the 
Commissioners of the Leeds Bankruptcy court, and serious 
injury to several other persons. Serjeant Stubbs, one of the 
Leeds police officers was so seriously injured that he died on 
the 19 til of I^Tovember following. The coroners jury subse- 
quently returned a verdict of manslaughter against Joseph 

AVheatley the driver of the pilot engine. 23rd. Charles 

Kemble, Esq. gave the first of five Shakesperian readings, 
before the members of the Leeds Philosophical and Literary 
Society, at the Music-hall. 

The first sod of the Leeds and Thirsk Railway was cut by 
Edwin Eddison, Esq. , in October, this year ; Mr. Bray, the 
contractor, laid the first stone of the Bramhope tunnel, in 
July, 1846 ; the first locomotive passed through the tunnel 
on the 31st of May, 1849 ; the directors opening took place 
on the 9th of July, 1849 ; and the line was opened to the 
public on the 10th of the same month. The tunnel is two 
miles and 243 yards long. 

29 th. The foundation stone of St. Saviour's church, Cava- 
lier-hill, East-street, Bank Leeds, was laid 14th Sept. , 1842, 
and the church was consecrated by the Bishop of Ripon, 
Oct. 29th, 1845. It is built of stone ; the style the decorated 
Gothic, in the form of a cross, with a tower, but the spire is 
left unfinished ; having a chancel transepts, nave, and nave 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 523 

1845.— Oct. 

aisles. The roof is Avaggon-lieaded, and plastered between 
the timbers. The Avindows are of rich stained glass ; in 
the great west window the Crucifixion is portrayed, with the 
three Maries, and St. John ; other saints are also introduced. 
In the east window is represented our Lord's Ascension to 
heaven, and the Apostles kneeling in adoration. The pave- 
ment of the church is composed of red and black tiles jDlaced 
alternately. The chancel is lighted entirely by wax candles, 
which are placed in sconces projecting from the walls. In 
the chancel are three elaborate canopied seats for the officia- 
ting clerg}^, and a piscina, all on the south side. An 
exquisitely carved oak screen separates the chancel from the 
rest of the church, and a canopy over it, in which canopy is 
a painted emblem of the Holy Trinity. Over the j)rincipal 
entrance A^ithin the church, is placed in emblazoned letters 
the folloAving sentence : — "Ye wdio enter this holy place, 
pray for the sinner who built it." This structure was 
erected at the cost of near £10,000, by an unknown bene- 
factor, (supposed to be Dr. Pusey). St. Saviour's district 
was constituted a parish in 1846, and a \dcarage-house has 
since been erected. The patronage is vested in trustees. All 
the seats are free. The 'Rev. C. H. Collins is vicar. It is 
said that the church was to have been called the church of 
the "Holy Cross," but the bishop of the diocese refused 
consecration under that designation. The first incumbent 
was removed for introducing the ceremonies of the Church 
of Rome. 

LEEDS MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS, 1st November, 1845. 

The names in brackets were elected. 

Mill-Hill, [John Jowitt, jun., L; and J. S. Barlow, L.] 

West, [John Botterill, L, 316; George Morton, L, 316;] Richard 

Bramley, C, 302 ; John Beckwith, C, 299. North, West, [Thos. 

White, R, 166 ;1 Arthur Lupton, jun , L, 81 North, [Thomas 

Hall.] North-East, [John Metcalfe, C] East, [Martin 

Cawood, C, 476 ;] J Thompson, R, 464. Kir kgatk, [George 

Bulmer, C, 177;] T. Scholey,R, 101. South, [Arthur Me°fson, L 

132;] Stephen Chappel, C, 72. Hunslet, [John Carr, L.] 

HoLBECK, rJohn Pollard, L, 716 ; W. E Kepper, L, 816 ;] Barratt, 

R, 601 ; John Ardill, R, 599. Brawlby, [John Lister, C; and 

Robert Atkinson, L.] Hkadingley, [Jarvis Brady, R.j 

John Daratoa Luccock, Esq , major. 

Nov. 4:th, 5th, and 6th. Great rejoicings took place at 
Harewood House, in commemoration of Viscount Lascelles. 



524 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 
1845.— Nov 

having attained his majority, and of his recent marriage 
to Lady Elizabeth Joan de Burgh, daughter of the Marquis 
of Clanricarde. Old English hospitality was dispensed with 
a very liberal hand, and few there were who came away 
empty, A roasted ox, weighing fifty stones, twenty butts of 
ale, and one thousand 4-it). loaves were distributed. The 
day was spent in racing and other sports. On the evening 
of the 5th, a grand county ball took place, for vrhich five 
hundred invitations had been issued. The festivities closed 
on Saturday the 6th by a treat given to the children of 
Harewood and the surrounding villages. 

10th. The foundation stone of St. Philip's* church. Bean- 
Ing, Wellington-road, Leeds, was laid this day. It bore 
this inscription : — 

"The first stone of this churt-h, interifled for the new parish of St. 
Philip, Leeds, was laid by John Gott, Esq., on behalf of the sub- 
scribers, on the 10th of November, a.d. Ift4.5. Soli Deo Glori'i, 
"William. Sinclair, M.A., incumbent of St. George's, Leeds. H. 
D. Chantrell, architect." 

It was consecrated in Oct. , 1847, and was built by subscrip- 
tion on ground given by Messrs. Gott, who also aided by 
liberal contributions. It was endowed by the ecclesiastical 
commissioners with £150. The style is of the decorated 
early English, plain but substantial. It cost £5,000, and 
will accommodate 500 persons, half of the seats being free. 
It is in the alternate patronage of the Crown and the Bishop 
of Pipon. There is a school attached. The Pev. Gr. Thomas, 
B. A. , is the present incumbent. 

12tli. The first soiree of the Kirkstall Mechanics' Insti- 
tute, took place this day, J. G. Marshall, Esq. , in the chair. 

18th. Died, aged 48, James Williamson, Esq., M.D., of 
Stretton Hall, Cheshire, for many years resident in Leeds, 
and the second mayor under the municipal corporations act. 
His professional life was spent almost entirely in Leeds, 
where he rose to the head of his profession. In the Philo- 
sophical and Literary Society of the town he took a prominent 
part. He was elected physician to the Leeds Infirmary and 
the House of Pecovery ; lectured at the Leeds School of 
Medicine, which he assisted to form, and for a time was 
co-editor of the North of England Medical and Surgical 
Journal. 

Dec. 19th. Died, aged 69, Lord Whamcliffe, second son 
of the Hon. James Archibald Stuart Wortley Mackenzie. 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 525 

1845.— Dec. 

He was born on the Gth of October, 1776, and received his 
education at the Charter House. At the early age of fifteen 
— namely, in 1791 — he first carried his majesty's colours as 
an ensign in the 7th Fusiliers. In 1792 his regiment Avas 
ordered to Canada, whither he accompanied it, and returned 
\yit]i it to England in 1795. Having exchanged into the 
91st Highlanders, he accompanied that regiment to the Cape 
of Good Hope, whence he returned in 1797, with despatches 
from Earl INIacartney. He soon after purchased a company 
in the 1st Foot Guards, with the rank of Lieutenant-colonel, 
and he finally quitted the arm}?- at the peace of 1801. On the 
death of his eldest brother, in Jan. , 1797, (he being then Stuart 
Wortle}') succeeded him in the representation of the borough 
of Bossiney, in Cornwall ; which he continued to represent 
till 1818. On the 1st of March in that year. Colonel Stuart 
Wortley Mackenzie, his father died, and his son succeeded to 
his large inheritance. He was returned for Yorkshire jointly 
"v\'ith Lord Milton, at the general election of 1818, and repre- 
sented the county till 2nd of June, 1826. He was elevated 
to the peerage on the 12th of July, 1826. On the introduc- 
tion of the Reform Bill by Lord Grey, in 1831, Lord Wharn- 
clifle strenuously opposed that measure. When Sir Robert 
Peel was recalled from Italy, in November, 1834, to form a 
Conservative Government, Lord Wliarnclifie was appointed 
Lord Privy Seal. In 1841 he accepted the post of President 
of the Council in the new administra,tion. Independent of 
minute attention to public business, .the deceased was an 
active magistrate, having for many years acted as chairman 
of the West-Riding Sessions ; he was also Colonel of the 
South Yorkshire Yeomanry Cavalry, one of the most eflicient 
corps on the roll. To his love for active business he added 
considerable literary taste, as is evinced by his splendid 
edition of ' ' Lady Mary Wortley Montagu's Letters. " His 
chief merit lay in his aptitude for the business of active life. 
As the representative of Yorkshire he was never exceeded 
either for knowledge or industry, and his legal acquirements 
were of a high order. As a public speaker he was rather 
forcible than eloquent — more argumentative than orna- 
mental. As a minister of state, he combined sound judg- 
ment with great practical energy. On the 30th of March, 
1799, he married Lady Elizabeth Caroline Mary Creighton, 
daughter of John the first Earl of Erne, by his second wife, 
Lady Mary Hervey, daughter of Frederick, Earl of Bristol, 
Bishop of Derry. By this lady, who survived him, he had 
issue three sons and two daughters. 



526 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK AND 

1846^Jan. 

1846. In this year, during the excavation for the erection 
of a house on the ridge of the hill above Battye-wood, at 
Headingley, near Leeds, a number of coins were discovered ; 
they were contained in an urn, or earthenware vessel. 
Several of them are in the possession of James Wardle, Esq., 
of Leeds. 

Jan. 6th. Died, John Cawood, Esq., of Leeds. He was 
long and honourably known to his fellow-townsmen, for his 
tictive benevolence and public spirit. He was a zealous sup- 
porter of the public charities of the town, especially of the 
House of Recovery, and the Benevolent, or Stranger's Friend 
Society. He had been a member of the Workhouse Board, 
and recently chairman, a member of the town council, 
churchwarden, improvement commissioner, Szc. 

14th. About 400 gentlemen sat down to a sumptuous 
dinner at the Music-hall, Leeds, after which a meeting was 
held to promote the objects of the anti-corn-law league. The 
mayor of Leeds, J. D. Luccock, Esq. , presided, after which 
addresses were delivered by Wm. Aldam, junr., Esq., M.P., 
B. Cobden, Esq., M.P., J. Bright, Esq., M.P., Col. Thomp- 
son, (fee. It was announced at this meeting that the league 
fund amounted to a quarter of a million sterling, more than 
half of which had been subscribed within the course of one 

month. 21st. The business of the Leeds Post-office was 

this day transferred from Mill-hill to Albion-street, in con- 
sequence of the former premises being too small for the 

increased business of the office. The Rt. Hon. Henry 

Earl of Harewood, was appointed Lord Lieutenant of the 
West-Piding of the county of York. 

Feb. 4th. In consequence of the Hon. John Stuart Wort- 
ley, M.P., succeeding to the peerage, under the title of 
Lord Wharncliffe, Lord Morpeth was elected without oppo- 
sition for the West-Riding of Yorkshire. On the same day 
at the Corn Exchange, Wakefield, upwards of 500 of the 
friends and supporters of Lord Morpeth sat down to a sub- 
stantial and choice repast, after which his lordship addressed 

the meeting. 9th. A special general meeting of the 

shareholders of the Leeds and West-Riding Bank was held 
this day at the Royal-hotel, Leeds, when it appeared that 
the liabilities of the company were about £350,000, and the 
assets £300,000, shov/ing a deficiency of £50,000, which loss 
would have to be borne by the shareholders. On the 9th of 
December following, a fiat in bankruptcy v*^as issued against 

the company. 23rd. The first stone of the Morley 

tunnel, (which is 3,420 yards long,) on the Leeds, Dewsbury, 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 527 

]«=46.— Feb. 

and Manchester railway, was laid at the Batley end of the 
tunnel by John Gott, Esq. On the mallet, and also on the 
trowel was neatly engraved the coat of arms of Mr. Gott, 
and the following inscription : — 

" Presented by the contractors of the Mvjrley tunnel, to John Gott, 
Esq., chairman of the Leeds. De^vsbury, and Manchester railway, on 
the o:2casion of laying the first stone of that work, Feb. 23rd, 1846." 

Before depositing the stone there were placed within a re- 
cess, a gold, a silver, and a copper coin, of the realm, together 
with the Leeds newspapers, and other documents ; and upon 
the stone was fixed a brass plate with the folio vAdng in 
scription : — 

*• This, the first stone of the Morley tunnel, of the Leeds, Dewsbury, 
and Manchester railway, was laid by the chairman, John Gott, Esq , 
of Armley, near Leeds, on Monday, 23rd February, 1846. Directors: — 
Christopher Beckett, Thomas Benyon, Joseph Brook, Wm. Williim.s 
Brown, Thos. Cooke, James Garth Marshall, David Wm. Nell, and 
Thomas Starkey. Thomas Granger, Engineer. Jones and Pickering, 
Contractors." 

24th. The foundation stone of the parish church at 
Keighley was this day laid by F. Greenwood, Esq., of 

Byshworth Hall. At this time there was a subscription 

opened at Hatfield, near Doncaster, of ninety subscribers at 
£1 each, to rafile for three cottages at Hatfield Woodhouse. 
A party at Stainf orth, not being sufficiently rich to subscribe, 
clubbed a shilling each to make up a share ; in order to make 
up one of these shilling shares, twelve boys paid a penny 
each. On the lotteries been drawn the prize fell upon the 
subscription lottery from Stainforth. The twenty subscri- 
bers of a shilling each again drew lots, and the lucky member 
was that for which the twelve had subscribed their penny 
each. This was again drawn and a boy named Dyson Wilson, 
six years old became the possessor of the three cottages, 
worth £90, for the sum of one penny. 

March. The state of the money market at this time was 
exceedingly trying, and produced a great depression of trade ; 
at Bradford especially the labouring classes had to endure 
many privations, 888 families were without the means of 
subsistance. The distress was aggravated by the stoppage of 
Messrs. Bouse and Sons, works, by which 3,000 hands were 

thrown out of employment. 12th. A densely crowded 

meeting was held at the Music-hall, Leeds, in favour of 
Lord Ashley's ten hours bill. His lordship attended and 
addressed the meeting. Public meetings were held at Brad- 
ford, Dewsbury, and other places, on the same subject. 



528 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1846.— March. 

30tli. The foundation stone of the Wharfdale viaduct, on 
the Leeds and Thirsk railway, was laid by Henry Cowper 
Marshall, Esq. The viaduct is formed of stone, and em- 
braces 25,000 cubic yards of masonry. It is 470 yards long, 
consists of 21 arches, of an elegant semi-elliptical form of 
60 feet span. Its greatest height is 90 feet, and its least 
height 60 feet. 

April 2. Died, aj^ed 82, Benjamin Simmonds, for thirty 
years horn blower to the late corporation of the old borough 
of Ripon. The deceased always took precedence in all pro- 
cessions, and on gala daj^s he bore the state horn, tipped 
with gold, the emblem of the borough and city arms. He 
blew his horn each evening, at nine o'clock, at the mayor's 
door and the market-cross. The origin of the custom of 
blowing the horn in Ripon has been thus described by an 
old writer : — "It was, indeed, the custom of the Vigillarius 
or Wakeman, to order that a horn should be blown every 
night at nine o'clock ; and if any house or shop was broken 
open, or robbed, after that blowing of the horn, till the 
rising of the sun, why then the loss was obliged to be made 
good to the suffering inhabitant. For this obligation or in- 
surance, every householder used to pay fourpence a year ; 
but if there was a back door to another street, from which 
double danger might be supposed, then it was to be eight- 
pence." The tax is discontinued, though the horn is still 
l)lo^vn at the accustomed hour. It is said that the deceased 
excelled all previous horn blowers for the length and strength 
of blast : — 

* ' But now no more they'll hear his blast. 
For Benjamin has blown his last." 

4th. The journeymen painters and joiners at Leeds turned 

out for an advance of wages.- Owing to the heavy fall 

of rain at this time there were great floods in Yorkshire. 
The river Aire and other rivers were swollen to a great 
lieight, in many places overflowing their banks, and doing 
immense damage. 

Guardians of the Poor for the township of Leeds elected 
April 5th, 1846 :— 

East Ward, Wm Burrow Hainsworth. Kirkgatf-, John 

Braithwaite, Henry Waddington. Mill Hill, John Kighley 

Clapham, Wm. Cliristian Kettlevvell. North, contested, James 

"Ward, 653 ; Benjamin Powell, 588 ; defeated, John Barrett, 419. 

North East, contested, John Metcalfe, 737; John Morfitt, 631.; 

defeated, William Brook, 329. North West, contested, Joseph 

Wood, 391; Joseph Hall, 418; defeated, John Ayrey, 337. 



THE SURROUKDING DISTRICT. 529 

1846.— April. 
South, contested, Samuel Cro''t, 338; John Kirk, 336; defeated, 

Thomas NYil>on, 125; John Jackson, 142. West, contested, 

Bobert Bean, 720 ; Peter Law Atkinson, 735 ; Daniel Atkinson, 749 ; 
defeated, William A^en^^, 491; Thomas Clarkson, 400; James 
Shires, 391. 

John Metcalfe was elected chairman. 

The people of Ireland at this time were dying by thou- 
sands of starvation, owing to the failure of the potatoe crop, 
and other causes. 

May 17th. About midnight, Mr. Joshua Burton, son of 
John Burton, Esq., Roundhay, eloped with Miss Fanny 
Wilkinson, eldest daughter of John Wilkinson, Esq., of 
Gledhow-mount. A post-chaise carried the lovers to Gretna 
Green, where they were married the next day at four p.m. 

21st. Died, suddenly, aged 64, Thomas Benson Pease, 
Esq., of Chapel- AUerton Hall, near Leeds. The deceased 
was a member of the Society of Friends, and had for many 
years pre%dous to his death been a member of the Leeds 
Corporation, an alderman of the borough, <fec. 

The town council elected Edward Baines, Esq., an 
alderman in the place of the deceased, but he respectfully 
declined the honour, as he found his strength unequal to 
the performance of new duties. On the 17tli of June John 
Wilson, Esq., of Armley Grange, was elected to the oflice. 

25th. Louis Napoleon Bonaparte made his escape from 
the fortress of Ham, where he had been imprisoned several 
years. The prince took advantage of some repairs that were 
going on, to disguise himself as a workman, and actually 
passed the various sentinels vnth a plank on his shoulder. 
He arrived in London on the following day. The fortress 
at the time was guarded by 400 soldiers, sixty of whom were 
on duty outside the wall. 

31st. The line of railway from. Leeds to Bradford, passing 
through Kirkstall, (fee. , v>'as opened this day, and the open- 
ing was celebrated on the 30th of June following. 

June 1st. Pope Gregory XVI. died at Rome, Cardinal 
Ferreth, bishop of Imola, was elected his successor. 

6th. Died, at Leaming'ton, aged 73, Henry Leah, Esq. . of 
Manningham-lane, and of Bierley iron-works, near Brad- 
ford. The deceased was bom of humble parents, and first 
started Hfe as a common artizan. He had very little 
advantage from early education, but by the force of his 
natural talents and rectitude of character, he, at a com- 
paratively early age, became the lessee of the large iron- 
works at Bierley, and realised a large fortune. 

45 



530 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YOUK, AND 

1846— June. 

On tlie morning of Sunday, tlie 14:th of Juno, nine in- 
dividuals from tlie neighbourhood of Batley, were publicly 
baptized in the river Calder, at Dewsbury, according to the 
rites of the Primitive' Baptist church, in the presence of 

more than 1000 persons. Mr, llowland Hill had a 

national testimonial presented to him, in the shape of 
£13,000, for his services in suggesting and carrying into 
execution the system of uniform penny postage. 

17th. The electric telegraph was this day completed from 

Rugby to Leeds. Tne Leeds town council voted £30,000 

to the Streets Committee, for the purpose of constructing 
main sewers in all the principal streets in the town. 

Mrs. Carr, of Knowsthorpe House, Leeds, left legacies to 
the Leeds Infirmary, £500 ; the Leeds Public Dispensary, 
£100 ; the Society for Propagation of the Gospel, £100 ; the 
Leeds District Christian Knowledge Association, £100 ; St. 
Peter's Parochial Sunday schools, £100 ; St. Peter's (Bank) 
schools, £100 ; National schools, Leeds, £100 ; the Leeds 
House of Recovery, £100. 

25t!i. The subject of the corn laws caused a disruption of 
the Conservative party. The ministry of Sir Robert Peel 
YfCiS defeated on the Irish Coercion Bill. Lord John 
Russell subsequently formed a ministry. 

26th. Corn Law Repeal. — At the close of the year 1845, 
the Anti-Corn Law agitation, under the leadership of Messrs. 
Cobden and Bright, had begun to have its effect on those 
in power. Large meetings had been held in all the principal 
to^i^ms in the kingdom ; at Leeds, on the 25th of Nov. and 
the 3rd of Dec. ; at Bradford, on the 2Sth of Nov. At 
Wakefield, a great West-Riding meeting took place on the 
17th of Dec. On the 4th of Dec. , the Times announced that 
Sir Robert Peel was about to summons Parliament, and to 
"recommend an immediate consideration of the Corn Laws, 
preparatory to their total repeal. " On January 27th, 1846, 
Sir Robert Peel declared this to be his intention. The me?.- 
sure was introduced on the Oth of February, and proposed a 
total repeal of the Corn Lavrs, subject to a moderate duty 
for three years. The debate extended over twelve nights. 
The third reading of the bill v/as carried at four o'clock on the 
morning of the 16th of May, by a majority of 98 in a house 
of 556 members. The bill passed the Lords on the 22nd of 
June, and became law on the 26th of the same month. As 
soon as the intelligence arrived in Leeds by telegraph of the 
passing of the bill, a salute of 21 guns was fired at the 
establishment of Messrs. Kitson, Thompson, and Hewitson's, 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 531 

1846.— June. 

Huiislet-iane, and all tlie ineii immeclLately turued out and 
gave three liearty cheers. Cannons were also fired at other 
places during the evening, and at two o'clock the bells of 
the parish church struck up a merry peal. Messrs. Taylor 
and Wordsworth had a large loaf fixed at the top of their 
works, inscribed "Free Traders of Holbeck." 

July 13th. The members of the Leeds INIechanics' Institu- 
tion had a special excursion to Wentworth Park, the seat of 
Earl Fitzwiliiam. Other institutions had trips on the same 
day to the same place, so that there wore not less than 5, 000 
persons in the grouncli;. A serious accident occurred in con- 
nection with the excursion from Leeds. Robert Neal, keeper 
of the tap at the Bull and Mouth hotel, v^'-as carelessly 
standing on the ^eat, and at the end of one of the carriages 
when the drag was put on to stop the tr?dn, he fell back- 
wards over the carriage and pulled a person named John 
Salter along with him. They were both killed. Salter was 
in the employ of INIessrs. Got-^'s, Leeds. On the Sunday fol- 
lowing the accident, Neal and Salter were interred in the burial 
ground of the Leeds parish church, in the presence of a vast 

concourse of spectators. 16th. Lord JMorpeth havmg 

accepted the office of First Lord Commissioner of Woods 
and Forests, vacated his seat for the West Hiding of York-- 
shire, but was re-elected tlris c'.ay \7i^h6iTt opp6:i^ioi2. 

Aug. 1st. A most terrific and destructive thunder and hail- 
storm occurred at London, and for miles round, doing immense 
damage, and by which several lives were lost. Hailstones 
were picked up weighing from an ounce to an ounce and a 

half, 5th. Died, at Holbeck, in his 65th year, Mr. 

Jonathan Shackleton, a member of the Society of Friends. 
He was an active and efiicient member of the Leeds to^\Ti 
council, and much respected by his colleagues. He was also 
a true philanthropist, being ever ready to aid any institution 
which had for its object the general good of mankind. A 
lasting monument of his perseverance and zeal may be found 
in the establishment of Zion School, New Wortley, near 
Leeds, of which he was the principal promoter, and most 

liberal subscriber. 7th. The afternoon of this day was 

kept as a holiday at Leeds, in celebration of the abolition of 
the Corn-laws. IMr. Charles Green, the great teronaut made 
a balloon ascent from the White Cloth-hall. Mr. Pablo 
Fanque's equestrian troop performed during tJiC day on 
Woodhouse moor. The entertainments closed with a splendid 
display of fireworks by Mr. Darby of London. 

25th. An excellent engraved portrait of Mr. Edward 



532 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1846— Aug. 

Baines, juur., in a handsonie gilt frame, was presented to tiie 

committee of the Leeds Mecfianicd' Institute by 500 penny 

subscribers, as a token of esteem for services rendered to 

the institution during the time he was president in 1845-46. 

Sept. 4th. Died, aged 34, Catherine Haddin, commonly 
known as "Kitty Haddin," of Huddersfield. She was very 
popular as a politician, and was the stoutest woman of 
which the town could boast, possessing the uncommon bulk 

of twenty-two stones. On the 7th, 8th, and 9th, of 

September, at the Victoria Cricket ground, V/oodhouse, 
Leeds, there was a most exciting and interesting match at 
cricket between eleven of all England, versus eighteen of 
Yorkshire. The all England players were V. Smith, 
Esq. from Bedford, Alfred Mynn, Esq., Mr. F. Pilch, Mr. 
Borringbon, and Mr. Hiliier, from Kent, Mr. Clarke, Mr. 
Guy, and Mr. Butler from Nottingham, Mr. Martingell, 
and Mr. Sewell from Surrey, arid Mr. Dean from Sussex. 
The Yorkshire players were li, Cadinan, Esq., Mr. Har- 
greave, Mr. Barrett, and Mr. Tbbetson of Leeds, Mr. A. 
Crossland, Mr. J. Crossland, and Mr. G. Berry, from Dal- 
ton, Mr. J. Wade from Harewood, Mr. J. North, and Mr. 
J. Eawcett from Boroughbridge, Mr. Hall, Mr. Ingle, Mr. 
Barker, Mr. Wads worth, Mr. Abel, Mr. Burlinson, and 
]>.Ir. Foster from Bradford, and Mr. Chatterton from Went- 
worbh. The final score was all England : — first innings 102, 
.second do. 125, total 227. Yorkshire first innings, 72, 
vS3cond do. 84, total 158. The Yorkshire players therefore 
irere vanquished by 71 runs, 63 of the score, however, being 
l)ye3, wide balls, and no balls, while Yorkshire added to 

their score but 8 from similar balls. •26th. Died at 

Playford-hall, Suffolk, aged 86, Thomas Clarkson, Esq., 
the philanthropist. 

Oct. 6th. A grand soiree of the Bradford Mechanics' In- 
stitute took place, at which Lord Morpeth presided. 

9th. The foundation stone of the Huddersfield station, 
of the Huddersfield and Manchester railway company, was 

laid by the Rt. Hon. the Earl Fitzvviiliam. 18th. Mr. 

Elihu Biirritt, known as '' the learned blacksmith" of the 
United States, who by his own diligence had made made him- 
self master of fifty languages, delivered at the hall of the Leeds 
Mechanics' Institution a lecture, on "The divine philosophy 

of physical labour." 23rd. A grand soiree of the Leeds 

Mechanics' Institute was held at the Music-hall, Albion- 
street, Earl Fitzwilliam in the chair. The members of 
parliament for the borough, and other friends of science and 
education were present, and took part in the proceedings. 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 533 

1846— Nov. 
LEEDS MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS, 1st November, 1S46. 

The names in brackets were elected. 

Mill-Hill, [John Moorhou^ie, L; Anthony Titley, C] West, 

[Joseph Gill, L; John Gre.ives, L.] NoRiH-WKSr, [G J. Crow- 

ther, L.] North, • William Mturson, L ] North -East, [John 

Morfitt, C ] East^ [Wm. Wilkinson, C, 495;] John Chalk Bar- 
rett, L.4£0. Kir KG ATE, [Edward Bond, C, 1/6 ;j John Yewdall, 

L, 145. SttUTH, [.I. BruulFieMd. L Hl'nslkt, [J. Wilson, L.J 

HoLBECK, [G. B. Pearson, L, 845 ; William Ingham, L, 830 ;] 

John Jaokson, k, 810; John Ardill, R, 798. Bramli-v, [Thos. 

Haigh, C, Abraham Farrer C.j Headixglkv, [George Hirst, C] 

Nov. 9th. Charles Gascoigne Maclea Esq., was elected mayor. 

On the 4tli of November, Colonel Tempest gave a large 
tree to the lads of Tong, near Bradford, for the purpose of 
making a bontire. Tliej had felled the tree, but the wicked 
boys at "Westgate-hill stole it in the night. The Tong lads 
hearing of the theft sallied out in great force. A terrible 
light ensued on Westgate-hill, between the parties, in which 
gi-eat injury was done to divers lieads. Tong prevailed, and 
the youths reached home with their trophy at twelve o'clock 
at night, and in honour of the triumph the bells of Tong 

church rung a merry peal. 12th. The foundation stone 

of the parish church of St. John's, Upper Thong, was laid 
by Thomas Gleadow Fearne, M.A., clerk, incumbent. 

16th. Dr. Heaton was elected physician to the Leeds 
House of Recoverv, in the place of Dr. Wilson, resigned. 

18th. Died, at Harehills, Griffith Wright, Esq., a magi ti- 
trate of the borough of Leeds, and the last mayor under the 
old corporation. He was twice on the commission of peace for 
Leeds. He was also one of the patrons of the Leeds vicar- 
age, and a trustee of the grammar school and the pious uses. 
In all these capacities he was remarkable for his assiduity to 
public business. The Leeds Intelligencer was established by 
his grandfather, Mr. Griffith Wright, on the 2nd of July, 
1754 ; he relinquished it to his son, Thomas, and he again 
to his son, Griffith. The last named gentleman edited his 
own journal, and conducted it with great spirit, ability, and 
success untn December, 1818, v.dien he retired from business. 
In private life his kind and cheerful disposition, and amiable 
virtues, endeared him to all his connexions and friends. He 
was unmarried, and in the 62nd year of his age. He was 

interred at Chapeltown church. The woolcombers of 

Keighley were at this time on the strike. 30th. A pub- 
lic meeting was held in the Leeds Music-hall, in favour of 



534 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1846.— Dkc. 

the ten hours' bill. Dr. Hook, the vicar, presided, and the 

meeting was addressed by Mr. Oastler, Mr. Buslield Ferrand, 

and others. 

Dec. 4tli. The Rev. Thos. Scales, pastor of Queen-street 
chapel, Leeds, had presented to him, by his congrega- 
tion, as a testimonial of esteem, a very handsome silk purse, 

containing one hundred guineas. 21st. The Oddfellows 

of the Manchester Unity held a grand public soiree at the 
Music-hall, Leeds, for the benefit of the widows and orphans 

fund. The Leeds Club was formed in December. The 

building is conveniently situated in Albion-place, Albion- 
street, and contains handsome coffee, smoking, and dining 
rooms, drawing or reading, and writing rooms, spacious 
billiard room, excellent kitchens, lavatory, bed rooms, bath 
rooms, (fcc. , and is beautifully furnished and decorated, but 
still it has an air of domestic comfort, whilst it may almost 
vie with any club house out of London. This institution is 
found to be very convenient to the gentry of the neighbour- 
hood, who have occasion to visit Leeds, and is also much 
frequented by the merchants, and professional gentlemen of 
the town. Mr, E.. L. Ford is secretary. 

1847. Jan. 1st. C. G. Maclea, Esq. , resigned the office of 
mayor of Leeds, on account of ill health, and George Good- 
man, Esq. was elected his successor. 12th. A very 

beautiful marble bust (by Macdonald, of Rome) of the late 
John Marshall, Esq. was presented to the Leeds Philosoph- 
ical and Literary Society, by his sons. 29th. Great 

sensation was caused at Wakefield by the suicide of two 
lovers, named George Hampson, aged 25, and Susan Mor- 
ton, aged 21. Nothing has since transpired calculated to 
explain the motive for the commission of such a rash act. 
They were interred in the same grave, in the burial ground 
of the parish church of that place in the presence of at least 
3,000 persons. 

March 5th. About three o'clock in the afternoon of 
Friday, the 5th of March, an explosion of fire damp took 
place in Ardsley Main colliery, occupied by Messrs. Firth, 
Barber, and Co., known as the Oaks colliery, situate about 
a mile from Barnsley. Ninety men and boys were in the pit 
at the time, seventy-three of whom met with almost instant 
death. The explosion shook the whole neighbourhood like 
an earthquake, and the force of it was such, that stones were 
thrown from the shaft, which is 300 yards deep, into the air 
40 or 50 yards above the head gearing. The unfortunate 
occurrence was caused by the use of a naked hght, in a part 
of the mine where inflammable gas was known to exist. 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 535 

1847. — March. 

9th. On the 23th of August, 1846, was passed the County 
Court act, 9th and 10th Vic. , cap. 95, and by an order in 
council of the 9th of March, 1847, County Courts were 
established throughout the kingdom with a jurisdiction up 
to £20, which was subsequently by (13th and 14th Vic. , cap. 
61) extended to £50. These courts supplanted the old courts 
of request, and laid down one uniform mode of proceeding 
for the recovery of small debts throughout England. The 
statute 9th and 10th Vic, cap. 95, has been amended by the 
12th and 13th Vic, cap. 101 ; the 13th and 14th Vic, cap. 
61 ; the 15th and 16th Vic, cap. 54 ; and the 19th and 20th 
Vic. , cap. 108. By the latter of these acts the expense of 
maintaining the county courts, which was before borne 
wholly by the suitors, is, ^vith the exception of the salaries of 
the ministerial officers to be defrayed by an annual vote. 
The cost of proceeding in the court has been very materially 

reduced. 13th. A very painful shock v/'as given to 

commercial credit in Leeds, by the discovery that three 
brothers named Robert, Frederick, and William Glover, 
woollen cloth scribblers and dyers, of many years standing 
in the town, had absconded after committing forgeries to 
the amount of at least £10,000. The parties absconded it 
is sux^posed to America, and although a reward of £500 was 
offered for their apprehension, they were never taken. 

15th. Died, aged 71, at Torquay, Devon, Christopher 
Beckett, Esq., of Meanvrood Park, near Leeds. He was 
the second son of the first Sir John Beckett, Bart. , of Gled- 
how-hall, near Leeds, and of Somerly Park, in Lincolnshire, 
by Mary, daughter of Dr. Chr. Wilson, Lord Bishop of 
Bristol. Mr. Beckett was for many yeiirs a magistrate of 
the West-Riding, and a leading trustee and active adminis- 
trator of the public charities of the town. He was senior 
panner in the banking house of Messrs. Beckett, and Co. A 
ver}- costly and beautiful structure was subsequently erected 
in the Leeds parish church, as a memorial by the surviving 
brothers and sisters of the deceased. The tomb, vrhich is 
entirely of Caen stone is an elaborate specimen of the style 
which prevailed in the early part of the fifteenth century. 
The design consists of a large central sepulchre arch, flanked 
on each side by massive angle buttresses, and surmounted 
by a parapet, from which spring pinnacles, supported by 
projecting corbel angels holding scrolls. On the top of the 
tomb the following inscription is emblazoned in mediaeval 
letters : — 

" In memory of Christopher Beckett, of Meanwood, Esq,, a Justice 
of the Peace, and Deputy Lieutenant of the West- Hiding ; twice 



536 AXNALS OF LEEDS, YOSK AND 

1847.— March. 

Mayor of Leeds ; born 26th January, 1777 ? lie died at Torquay, 15tb 

March, 1S47, and was interred io the adjacent vault. He was an 

active magistrate, a faithful dispenser of public trusts, and a liberal 

supporter of the calls of Religion and the claims of Charitj'-. Fear 

God, and keep his Commandments." 

The size of tlie tomb across the base is 11 feet 3 inches, 
and to the top of the angels on the angle buttresses, 12 feet 
10 inches. The design and detail drawings of the tomb are 
by Mr. Dobson, the architect, and the whole was executed 
by Mr. R. Mawer, both of Leeds. The stained glass window 
is by Mr. Wailes, of Newcastle. 

31s c. The members of the late " Leeds Exchange," dined 
together at the White Horse, Boar-lane, on the occasion of 
the presentation of a testimonial, consisting of a most 
beautiful and chaste tea and coffee service, to John Lapage, 

Esq., their late chairman. Daring this rnonth large 

and important meetings were held at Leeds and other places, 
both for and against the government scheme of education — • 
of making grants to schoolmasters, pupil teachers, &c. The 
plan was ably supported by the Rev. Dr. Hook, the vicar, 
(who published a pamphlet recommending a system of national 
education, in which religion should be altogether excluded 
from the school teaching, and the schools should be support- 
ed by local rates, and superintended by committees chosen 
by the justices of the peace) J. G. Marshall, John Gott, 
Hamer Stansfeld, the Rev. Chas. Wicksteed, the Rev. Wil- 
liam Sinclair, J. D. Luccock, Esq. , (fcc. The measure was 
strongly and ably opposed by the late Edward Baines, 
Edward Baines, jun., (who published a series of letters in 
the Mercury addressed to Lord John Russell, on the subject 
of ' ' State Education. ") Francis Carbutt, Thomas Plint, 
the Rev. Dr. Hamilton, (author of the prize essay on ' ' The 
Institutes of Popular Education,") the Rev. John Ely, and 
others. 

April 5th. A very rapid and destructive fire took place ou 
the evening of this day at the timber yard of Mr. John 
Townsend, Airedale saw mills, in Aire-street, Leeds, doing 
several thousand pounds worth of damage. 

Guardians of the poor for Leeds, elected April 5th, 1847 : 

East Ward, W. B. Hainsworth, George Lumb. Kirkgate, 

contested, John Braithwaite, 171; Robert Taylor, 176; defeated, 

John Brown, 115. Mill-Hill, Thomas Wilson, John Kighley 

Clapham, and Thomas Dawkins. North, Richard Stead, James 

Ward. North- East, John Metcalfe, John Morfitt. North- 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 537 

1847.— Aprii.: 

"VVssr, Joseph tl.ill, Joliii Pitrick. South, Simuel Croft, Thos. 

Walsh. Wrsf, Benjamin Burrell, Peter Lav Atkinson, Thomas 

jNe\v.sam. John Metcalfe elected chairman. 

7th. T\vo lovers, named Joseph Bolland and Maria Wilson, 
i;he former 19 and the latter 17 years of age, both residing 
in Lincoln-field-place, Ne^vtown, Leeds, tied their bodit33 
together with handerchiefs, jumped into the river Aire, 
and were drowned. The reason given for this singular case 
of double suicide, is that the lovers were out of employment. 
A short time before the melancholy event, they had been 
paying a series of farewell visits to their friends, and were 
in good spirits, alleging that they were going on tramp to 
Harrogate. 26th. The Leeds magistrates held a meet- 
ing at the Court-house, to consider the state of the vagrant 
Irish poor in Leeds. It was explained by the chairman of the 
poor law guardians, that in three months 1,896 vagrants had 
been relieved, while in a corresponding quarter the year . 
before, the number only amounted to 278. The guardians 
had to provide additional premises to relieve the pressure on 
the House of Hecovery for the large number of sick, prin- 
cipally Irish, who were afflicted with typhus fever. 

26th. The ceremony of laying the foundation stone of the 
nevj Unitarian chapel. Mill-hill, Leeds, which is built on 
the sight of the old edifice, took place this day, in the 
presence of the congregation and a large number of specta- 
tors. The stone was laid by Hamer Stansfeld, Esq., chair- 
man of the building committee, to whom a silver trowel was 
presented for that purpose, inscribed with his name. In a 
cavity formed in the centre of the stone, a bottle was de- 
posited, containing a parchment with the following inscrip- 
tion : — " The corner stone of this chapel, erected as a public 
place of religious worship by Protestant dissenters from the 
Church of England, was laid on the 26th day of April, 1847, 
being the tenth year of the reign of Queen Victoria, by 
Hamer Stansfeld, Esq. , chairman of the building committee, 
on the site of the old chapel, at Mill-hill, which v/as erected 
from the indulgence of King Charles 11. , in the year 1673. 
IVIinister, the Rev. Charles Wicksteed, B.A. ; treasurer, 
Arthur Lupton ; chapelwardens, James Kitson, John W. 
E-ead." The bottle also contained a copy of the local news- 
papers, the Rev. Chas. Wicksteed's five concluding sermons 
in the old chapel, entitled " The Memory of the Just," the 
various coins of the realm, tire, (tc. The buildmg was 
opened for public worship on the 22nd of December, 1848, 



538 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1847.— April. 

and during its erection the services were held in the Ariam 
chapel, Call-lane. It is more commodious than the old 
building. The style of architecture is the pointed, or per- 
pendicular, of the 15th century, and is enriched with a 
variety of ornament. The interior is not less striking. The 
cost of the chapel was upwards of £7,000, which was defrayed. 
by the congregation. The Rev. Thomas Hincks, B. A. . is 
minister. A beautiful school has been recently erected, which 
agrees admirably in style with the chapel. The old chapel 
was the first dissenting meeting house in the north of 
England erected after the general indulgence, and was built 
in 1672-3. It was incrusted over with grey plaister, and 
shaded with trees, vdiich gave it a retired appearance. The 
Bevs. Richard Todd and Cornelius Todd, were the first, 
ministers ; the former was a friend of Dr. Manton, and his 
funeral sermon was preached by Matthew Henry. Mr. Todd, 
is said to have drawn up the Confession of Faith. After 
doctrinal changes in 1767, the celebrated Dr. Priestley 
became minister. 

May 3rd. The ten hours' factory act passed the House of 
Commons by 151 against 83 ; but in 1850, the hours of 
labour v>^ere altered to ten hours and a half per day. 

12th. A triple murder, unequalled in England's ' ' calendar 
of crime " for atrocity and brutality, was committed this: 
day at a place called Water Royd, near Mirfield, in the 
West-Riding. The victims of the appalling tragedy were 
James Wraith, an old man of 77 ; Ann, his second wife, 
aged 70 ; and Caroline Ellis, a promising young woman of 
20, just on the point of marriage, who lived with the old 
couple as servant. The murders were committed at mid-day 
by Patrick Reid, a travelling Irish tinker. The poor girl 
had her skull laid open in several places ; her brains scatter- 
ed on the floor ; her jtiw smashed, and her teeth driven out ;, 
her arm was also broken, and to crown all, her throat was 
cut. Ann Wraith had also her skull fractured in a many 
places, her right eye was literally smashed out ; the very 
socket itself being destroyed. Her arm was also broken and. 
her throat cut. Ja.tne3 Wraith had his skull broken in 
several places ; the lower javvr was severely fractured, the 
right arm dislocated, and his throat cut from ear to ear, 
all the arteries were di\'ided, and his head nearly cut off. His. 
trousers pockets were turned inside out, and a bloody razor, 
which was shut, laid on his breast. On the floor of the^ 
room under the window lay a kitchin poker, which told its 
own tale as to the instrument with which the horrible- 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 539 

1847.— May. 

tragecty had been committed. It was bent with the force of 
the blows that had been struck with it. James Wraith had 
in his earlier years been steward to Samuel Brooks, Esq, , 
J. P. in that neighbourhood, but of late years he had re- 
tired, " living on his means, " in a plain substantial stone 
dwelling, near both the Methodist and Baptist chapels, con- 
sisting of two parlours and a kitchen on the ground floor, 
and three bed rooms on the second story. Michael 
McCabe, a hawker, and Patrick Peid were taken in custody 
on suspicion of being concerned in the crime, having been 
seen in the immediate vicinity about the time of the murders. 
They were committed to York on a charge of wilful murder. 
McCabe was admitted Queen's evidence, and Peid alone was 
brought to trial on the 19th of July. The house consisted 
of tvro parlours fronting towards the fields, and a kitchen 
behind. It stood at a distance of about fifty yards from 
Water-royd-lane, and there was no house within one liun- 
di-ed yards of it. Behind the house is a yard, in which is a 
well, and in this well was found a soldering iron, which was 
sworn to have been in the possession of Peid the day previous 
to the murder, in addition to which he Vv^as seen near 
"Wraith's house about the time of the murder, and had 
marks of blood on his clothes. The trial was concluded on 
the 20th. The summing \vp of the Judge, (Justice Wight- 
man,) occupied two hours and a half. The jury retired at 
ten minutes past six o'clock, and returned after an abscence 
of two hours and forty minutes to ask a question of his 
lordship, which was handed in in v.aiting. The Judge 
handed the paper back again and requested one of the jury 
to read it. It was to this effect "The jury wish to know if 
the prisoner be acquitted of the murder of James Wraith, 
can he afterwards be put on his trial for the murder of the 
two women, should further evidence be found." The Judge : 
That is not a question gentlemen, which you can take into 
your consideration, nor any right to entertain. You have 
only one duty to perform, to consider the case in evidence. 
A Juror : — Some of the jury do not know whether we are 
trying the case as to the nnu-der of James Wraith, only, or 
all three of the family. The Judge : — Then you have greatly 
misvmderstood the case gentlemen. You are to decide only 
as to the murder of James Wraith. A Juror : — Then we 
are agreed upon our verdict. The Judge : — WeU, but you 
had better retire, and re-consider your verdict after what 
has taken place. The jury retired, and on returning into 
court after an absence of five minutes pronounced a verdict 



540 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 
1847.— May. 

of Not Guilty. Reid was still detained on a charge of mur- 
dering the females, which trial was postponed till the follow- 
ing assizes. 

On the 20th of December, Heid and McCabe were tried 
at York, for the wilful murder of Caroline Ellis, the servant 
girl, found guilty, and sentenced to death. A very im- 
portant piece of circumstantial evidence was adduced on the 
trial, which strongly tended to criminate Reid, namely, 
the discovery of Wraith's watch, and other propei-ty of the 
murdered family, in a house in Ireland, occupied by 
Reid's mother, where she had gone to reside. After sentence 
of death, Patrick Reid made an extraordinary confession, as 
follows :— ''That on the 12th of May, he (Reid) went to 
Mr. Wraith's house about twenty- five minutes to one o'clock ; 
that he conversed with the servant girl, Caroline EUis, about 
five minutes, that he then took out of his basket the solder* 
ing iron he had that day borrowed of Kilty, and struck 
Caroline Ellis a severe blow on the back of the head. She 
shrieked out, and staggered to the back door, when he struck 
her again and felled her to the ground, and Mr. Wraith 
coming that moment from the cellar into the passage which 
connects the kitchen with the two front parlours, with a 
silver pint, containiug beer, in his hand, he (Reid) struck 
him a violent blow on the head with the iron, in doing 
which, the iron flew from the handle, and Mr. Wraith stag- 
gered into the parlour. Reid then returned and got the 
kitchen poker, and ran to the parlour and met Mrs. Wraith 
running out of the front door. He then struck her two or 
three blows on the head, and felled her to the ground. He 
went into the parlour, and Mr. Wraith was then laid bleed- 
ing on the floor insensible. He rifled his pockets, took two 
keys out, and opened the drawers with them. He heard a 
knock at the kitchen door, which he thought was Caroline 
Ellis getting up. He went to the kitchen, found her per- 
fectly still, and returned. He then got some money out of 
the drawers, took a watch from Mr. Wraith, and a ring from 
!Mrs. Wraith's finger, and heard another knock at the door, 
and thereupon went to the kitchen door, and slightly opened 
it, when he saw the other prisoner, McCabe, who enquired 
if they wanted anjrthing in his line. He (Reid) replied, ' ' No, 
sir," and thinking McCabe was a stranger, and would not 
recognise him, he shut and bolted the door. He then re- 
turned, and ransacked the drawers, and found in them a 
razor case containing two razors. He took one, and cut the 
throats of all the three parties, then washed his hands and 



THE SURROUNDIXG DISTRICT. 541 

1847.— May. 

wiped them on the toweL He then quitted the house, 
locked the kitchen door, and threw the soldering iron and 
the key into the well near the back door, and then made 
towards his own home." 

On the 8th of January following, Patrick Reid was ex- 
ecuted at York in the presence of not less than 30,000 people 
of both sexes. Just before the fatal bolt was draAvn, he said 
to the officers around him, ' ' Well, gentlemen, I wisli to say 
that I alone am the guilty person ; that McCabe is entirely 
innocent, that no human being in the world had an}i;hing to 
do with it but myself." In consequence of Reid's confession 
McCabe was respited, and on his case being submitted to the 
whole of the judges, he was ordered to be transported for 
the term of his natural life. 

May. The flax reelers, numbering about 1,500 females, at 
the mills of Wilkinson and Co., Hunslet ; Holdsworth and 
Co., Hunslet ; andBojie, Gill, and Co., Meadow-lane, Leeds, 
were out on the strike, o-^-ing to an attempt to reduce their 

wages. At this time, out of 40,000 persons employed 

in the cotton trade in Manchester, 7,000 were out of work ; 
14,000 were working three days a week ; 19,000 were work- 
ing from four to iive days. In Rochdale, 21 mills were 
closed. 

15th. Died, aged 71, Daniel O'Connell, the celebrated 

Irish repealer. 17th. On the morning of this day an 

explosion of fire-damp, attended with the loss of nine lives, 
occurred at Beeston Main colliery, near Leeds, belonging to 
Messrs. Harding and Co. The explosion was caused by the 
sudden intrusion of foul air from some old workings into 
where the miners were at work. The killed were Aaron 
BeU, of Xew Hall, Beeston, aged 22 ; George Bell, of the 
sa.me place, aged 15 ; Charles Duxberry, Beeston, aged 14 ; 
William Westerman, Lee-fair-road, aged 12 ; John Orrell, 
Churwell, aged 28 ; and Joseph Longstafi", Beeston, aged 
56 ; John Hall, of Beeston, aged 10 ; John Jessop, Beeston, 
aged 32 ; and William Richardson, of Churwell, was taken 

out alive, but died in the course of the day. 25th. Mr. 

William Jackson, organist, Masham, composed an oratorio, 
entitled ' ' The Deliverance of Israel from Babylon. " Being the 
first oratorio ever composed by a Yorkshireman, the various 
musical societies in the county introduced it to the musical 
world on the 25th of IMay, by a performance at the Music- 
hall, Leeds, under the patronage of the worshipful the 
maj'or, the proceeds of vv^hich were given to the Leeds Dis- 
pensary and the House of Recovery. The principal vocalists 

46 



542 AISTTALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1847.— May. 

were Mrs, Sunderland, Mrs. L. Peace, Mr. Novello, Mr. 

Barker, York, Mr. Lambert, Durham, &c. The annual 

meeting of the Yorkshire Union of Mechanics' Institutes, 
was held in the Council-hall, Sheffield. Earl Fitzwilliam 
took the chair, supported by Mr. James Montgomery, Mr. 
Edward Baines, jun.. Alderman Dunn, and others. 

3ist. Died, at the York Hotel, Brighton, after a short 
illness, aged 72, Sir John Beckett. He was the eldest son 
of Sir John Bockett, Bart. , banker of Leeds, by the daughter 
of Dr. Wilson, bishop of Bristol. He was born at Leeds, 
on the 17th of May, 1775. He commenced his education at 
the Leeds grammar school. He entered Trinity college, 
Cambridge, at the age of sixteen, where he was fifth Avrangler 
in 1795. At the age of twenty- one he was called to the bar 
by the Inner Temple, of v/hich he became a bencher, and he 
practised for some time on the northern circuit. On the 
18th of February, 1806, he took office as Under-Secretary of 
State for the Home Department, under the Whig ministry 
of Fox and GrenviUe. In 1817, he was a,ppointed a fsrivy 
councillor, and the same year he married Lady Anne Low- 
ther, third surviving daughter of the Earl of Lonsdale, who 
survived him. Sir John first entered the House of Com- 
mons in 1820, as member for Cockermouth ; and he was 
elected for Haslemere in 1826, 1830, and 1831. In 1828, he 
v/as appohited Judge Advocate, and held the office till the 
retirement of the Wellington administration in 1830. 
During the short ministry of Sir Hobert Peel in 1834-5, he 
again held the same office. In 1834, he contested Leeds, in 
opposition to Mr. Baines, and was defeated. At the general 
election of 1835, Sir John was returned for Leeds, at the 
head of the poll. At the election, on the accession of Queen 
Victoria, in 1837, he again contested Leeds, and was de- 
feated. Sir John Beckett possessed a fine personal appear- 
ance, great moral worth, and excellent business talents. 
He died without issue, and his brother, Thomas, succeeded 
to his title. Ho, like his brother, Christopher, died without 
will, and thus the landed estates, estimated at the annual 
value of £10,000, (saving the widow's dower), devolved upon 
his brother. Sir Thomas. 

June. Typhus Fever prevailed in Leeds to an alarming 
extent, especially in the eastern part of the town. On the 
18th of this month it was reported that in the Rose and 
CroY»^n-yard, Union-street, twenty-eight persons had the 
fever in seven houses, three of which were without 
beds ; in Wellington-yard ten in seven houses, and in 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 04.J 

1847— June. 

Goulden's-biiildiugs four in three houses were attacked. lu 
one house in Brighton-court, in which there was not a single 
"bed, twelve had the fever, and in a house in Brook-street 
six were attacked under similar distressing circumstances. 
In three houses in Brussels-street twenty persons had the 
fever, and in a single house in Baptist-court no less than 
■eleven had it. The House of Recovery and the fever hospital 
were completely full, A temporary wood shed for a hospital 
was erected in Accommodation-road, Richmond-hill, and 
Cleveland-street mill was likewise occupied (temporary) for 
the same purpose, under the board of guardians. Dr. Hook 
and the Rev. G. Hills, (now bishop of Colombia,) were daily 
visitors at these establishments. Two of the towm's surgeons 
were attacked. In the whole township, there were at least 
400 persons suffering from the disease. The number of inter- 
ments in the burial gTOunds of the Leeds parish church 
during the haK year ended 30th of June was more than 900, 
being an increase of more than 200 on the corresponding- 
period in the previous year. The epidemic did not confine 
itseK exclusively to the poor. Several individuals caught 
the contagion, whilst ministering to the necessities of the 
distressed Irish. On the 27th of May, the Rev. Henry 
Walmsley, senior Catholic priest at St. Ann's, Leeds, and 
Catholic dean of the District of York, died of typhus fever, 
and on the follo^ving day died the Rev. E. Metcaif, another 
Catholic priest. The latter gentleman had only come to 
Leeds within three weeks. On the 30th of June, died, the 
Rev. Joseph Curr, aged 55, who succeeded the Rev. licnry 
"Walmsley, as head priest at St. xinn's. On the Gth of July, 
died, aged 33, the Rev. James Coppinger, Catholic priest. 
The Rev. Richard Wilson also fell a victim to the disease. 
The bodies of the five priests were interred in St. Patrick's 
chapel yard, York-road, adjacent to each other, and near the 
place is a beautiful stone cross erected to their memory by 
the laity, seven feet high. In the chapel is a monumental 
slab, which bears the following inscription : — 

" Of your ch.irity pray for the souls uf Reverends Henry Wahiisley, 
Richard Wilson, Edward ^-letc-alf, .Joseph Curr, and James Cop- 
pinger, who fe'l victims to fever in the discharge of their s icre.l 
duties, in 1847." '' Ri'yuiesca7it in f ac*:.'^ 

On the 7th of June, Mr. Joseph Andi-ev.', of Leeds, well- 
known as being coimected with the temperance society, was 
cut off by the disease. On the 10th of July, Francis Sharpe, 
Esq., surgeon, of North-street, Leeds, ched, aged 40, of 
fever, caught whilst acting as town's surgeon. On the foi- 



544 AKNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1847— Junk. 

lowing day, the llth, the Rev. Wiliiam Stanley Monck, 
B.A,, one of the curates of the Leeds parish church, 
died, aged 26, under an attack of the prevailing fever, sup- 
posed to have been caught whilst visiting a number of 
suiferers from famine and disease in Brighton- court. Lower 
Cross-street, and Brook-street. He was the youngest son 
of the late Colonel Monck, of Cowley Park, Berks. , formerly 
M. P. for Beading, and was ordained deacon by the Bishop 
of PJpon, on Sunday, the 9th of March. A beautiful memo- 
rial window is erected within the altar rails, on the north- 
east side of the church, which bears the following inscription : 
" Williatn Stanley Monck, B A , assistant curaf-e of the parish of 
Leeds, born March 27th, 1822, died July 11th, I847." 

June 4th. Samuel Linley, a joiner, employed at Parkgate, 
near Rotherham, committed, in open day, an atrocious mur- 
der, hj cutting the throat of a Mrs. Jagger, whom he met on 
the high road. 

10th. John Bright, Esq., M.P., was married to Miss 
Leatham, at the Friends' meeting house, George-street, 
Wakefield, A numerous and respectable company attended 
to witness the ceremony. The wedding party arrived at 
half-past ten. The whole company sat in perfect silence for 
about three quarters of an hour, when Mr. Bright arose, 
and taking the right hand of Miss Leatham, pronounced in 
a low but distinct voice, the following words : — "Friends, I 
take my friend, Margaret Elizabeth Leatham, to be my wife, 
and promise by divine assistance to be unto her a loving and 
faithful husband until it shall please God to part us by 
death." While still holding hands. Miss Leatham pro- 
nounced the same words, substituting John Bright for her 
own name, in a low but tremulous voice. Then a prayer 
was offered up, the certificate or declaration signed, and the 

ceremony ended. A case, Reg v. Lancaster, was tried 

in the Queen's Bench, before Lord Denman, as to whether 
the right of appointing the gaoler to the new Leeds borough 
gaol was in the justices for the borough, the mayor, the 
recorder, or the to\\Ti council. Judgment was delivered on 
the 26th of June, in favour of the justices. 

July 7th. A storm of thunder and lightning occurred this 
day about noon, which smashed no less than 150 panes of 
glass on the premises of Mr. Barrett, at the Ship Inn, Hare- 
wood Bridge, and the lightning split up several fine trees 
surrounding his house. Several fine trees in Harewopd 
Park were also shivered by the lightning. 24th. Died, 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 515 

1847.— July. 

aged 65, Richard Fountayiie Wilson, Esq. , of Slelton Hall, 
near Doncaster. He was born in tlie year 1782, and was 
the eldest son and heir of Richard Wilson, Escj., who was 
the eldest son of Christopher, lord bishop of Bristol, 
"by Anne, danghter of Dr. Edmund Gibson, lisLop of 
London. The mother of the deceased was Eiizaleth, third 
daughter of the Ycrj Rev. Dr. Fountayne, dean of York, 
to whom his father, Richard Yv'ilson, was married in 
1781. In 1807, Mr. Wilson vras the high-sheriif of York- 
shire. On the 21st of June, 1826, he Vvas returned as repre- 
sentatire for Yorkshire, along with Lord Milton, John 
Marshall, Esq., and the Hon, William Duncombe, without 
opposition, Richard Bethell, the fifth candidate having with- 
drawn. He continued in Parliament until the general elec- 
tion of 1830, when he retired. In politics, Mr, Wilson 
was a Conservative, He was a great benefactor to various 
public charities of the county, Leeds is indebted to him for 
the valuable piece of ground in front of the Infirmary, and 
also for the extinction of small tithes. Of the iNational 
Society of Education he was a warm supporter, and one of 
his latest gifts was a donation of £1,000, He was 
colonel of the first west York militia, which he resigned 
a short time before his death. He vvas also a magistrate 
and deputy-lieutenant of the West Riding of York, His 
remains were interred at Melton chiu^ch. 

26th. Died, aged 64, Jonathan Akroyd, Esq. , of Woodside, 
near Halifax. The deceased dropped dovrn dead whilst 
addressing a public meeting (as chairman) of the electors of 
Halifax for the return of Sir Charles Yv'ood. He was long 
and universally celebrated as a distingT.ished manufacturer 
and merchant of that town. To his skill, enterprise, and 
unwearied energy its loca,l manufactures p.re largely indebted. 
Posterity will regard him as the "father of the worsted 
trade," and while honour, integrity, and benevolence are 
revered, his memory viill be respected. The funeral of the 
deceased V.' as attended by about 3,000 persons, and the shops 
and other places of business in the town were closed during 
the day. A beautiful white marble monument, executed by 
J. Gott, E^, , of Rome, has recently been placed in the All 
Souls cemetery, Haley-hill. A finely engraved brass plate 
let into ihe wall near the head of tlie statue, bears the fol- 
lowing inscription : — 

*' In memory of Jonath'iii Akr.;}-*', of Vv'uodside, Kalii'.x. He '.vari 
born near Bvookhocse, Ovendeu, on the f/thof Nov., ^JS-2, and thexe 
pas.sed the sprirg of life in Liyinff ^he frurd^.tion orhi.s iutyre career. 



546 AXN^ALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1847.— July. 

The obstacles which beset his early path arouse-l in him a dauntless 
energy and a rare steadiness of purpose. In 1818, he removed from 
Brookhouse to Halifax, and in the suiiimer of his years, achieved a 
high position a^ a worsted manufacturer, distinguished, not less by 
his Strict honour and integrity, than by his uniform kindness and care 
towards his workpeople. In the autumn of life, his character matured 
it>elf, and he became ripe for the harvest. "Walking humbly before 
God, and given to secret meditation and prayer, yet he busied himself 
in works of usefulness and beneficence, more especially did he devote 
himself to the work of edncation. Besides providing most efficiently 
for the daily instruction of the factory children employed by him, he 
personally took an active part in the Woodside Sunday school. He 
(lied, suddenly, on the 26th of July, 1847, whilst earnestly pleading 
before a puhlic assembly the cause of national education. This 
monument was erected by hi>sons, Edward and Henry, as an otferiug 
of filial reverence and affection." 

23rd. Parliament was dissolved, and a general election 
ensued. 

29th. Leeds Election. — One division of the liberal party in 
Leeds brought out Joseph Sturge, Esq., of Birmingham, on 
the ground of opposition to state endo-vvments. Another 
section of the same party called forward James Garth 
Marshall, Esq. , on the opposite ground, and coalesced with 
the Conservative candidate, William Beckett, Esq. The 
nomination took place on the 28th of July. John Gott, 
Esq., proposed for re-election Mr, Beckett, which was 
seconded by Joseph Robert Atkinson, Esq. Edward Baines, 
Esq., proposed, and Peter Fairbairn, Esq., seconded, the 
nomination of Mr. Sturge, Thomas William Tottie, Esq., 
proposed, and Hamer Stansf eld, Esq, , seconded the nomina- 
tion of Mr. Marshall. Mr. Sturge had the largest show of 
hands, Mr. Beckett the next, and a poll was demanded on 
behalf of Mr. Marshall, which took place on the following 
day. The result was : — 

Mr. William BecUU (T,) 2,529 

Mr. James Garth Marshall ... (L,) 2,172 

Mr, Joseph Sturge (L, ) 1, 978 

Plumpers :— Beckett, 1,991; MarshaU, 84; Sturge, 1,617. 
The Leeds Borough Gaol was completed in July, at a 
cost of £43,000. It is pleasantly situated near Armley, 
on the south side of the picturesque valley of the 
Aire, about a mile and a half west of the town. It 
is a noble castellated stone structure, presenting a mas- 
sive pile of masonry, and is visible from many distant 
points. Messrs. Perkin and Backhouse, of Leeds, were the 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 54T 

1847.— July. 

architects. Previous to its erection, the prisoners convicted 
at the Borough Courts were sent to Wakefield. Tlie dis- 
cipline of this gaol is that of the " Silent System," and the 
emx3loyment of the prisoners is reproductive labour. Each 
inmate has a separate cell, (of which there are about 334), 
where he follows the occupation to which he may have been 
accustomed. Those who have no defined calling are em- 
ployed in picking oakum, or making matting, the proceeds 
of which are applied in aid of the establishment. In addi- 
tion to the persons committed from the sessions, convicts 
are also confined here, at the cost of the government, pre- 
paratory to their departure for the penal settlements. The 
arrangements are on the most improved system of prison 
discipline. Capt. C. F. Webster Wedderburne is governor ; 
the Rev. H. Tuckwell, M.A., chaplain ; andW. Price, Esq., 
surgeon. 

August 7th. The nomination for the West-Riding of 
Yorkshire took place this day at AVakefield. William Miiner, 
Esq., of ISTun Appleton, j)roposed, and Alderman Dunn, 
of Sheffield, seconded the nomination of Lord Moiycth. 
The Hon. Edwin Lascelles, proposed, and John Rand, Esq. 
of Bradford, seconded the nomination of Beckett Denison, 
Esq. George Goodman, Esq., mayor of Leeds, proposed, 
and William Rand, Esq. , of Bradford, seconded the nomi- 
nation of Richard Cohden, Escq. After Lord Morpeth, Mr. 
Denison, and John Bright (on behalf of IMr. Cobden, who 
was on the continent) had addressed the electors, a show of 
hands was taken, when the High-sherifF declared it to be 
in favour of Lord Morpeth and Mr. Cobden. After a 
short pause the Hon. Edward Lascelles stated that Mr. 
Denison should not demand a poll, therefore Lord Morpeth,, 
and Mr. Cobden were declared to be duly elected. 

At Huddersfield, W. R. C. Stansfield, Esq. was elected 
in opposition to Mr. Cheetham, the votes being Stansfield 
524, Cheetham 487. At Bradford, WiUiam Busfield, Esq., 
and Thomas Perrant Thompson, Esq.. were returned, the 
result of the poll being : — Mr. Busfield, 937 ; Mr. Thomp- 
son, 927 ; Mr. Henry Wickham Wickliam, 860 ; Mr. Gaw- 
thome Hardy, 812. 

At Halifax, Capt. Edwards, and Sir Charles Wood were 
returned, the result of the poll being : — Capain Edwards, 
509 ; Sir Charles Wood, 506 ; Mr. Edward MiaU, 348 ; Mr. 
Ernest Jones, 279. 

At Wakefield, George Sanders, Esq., was elected, the 
poll being :— Mr. G. Sanders, 392 ; Mr. W. Alexander, 258. 



.548 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1847.— Aug. 

10th. The Jirst election of common councilmen under the 
provisions of the charter of incorporation at Bradford, took 
place this day. Robert Miliigan, Esq, of Acacia-house was 

the first mayor of Bradford. 11th. The Leeds town council 

passed a resolution ' ' That it is expedient to exempt from 
toll, all foot, passengers who shall pass over the bridge called 
Welling-ton-bridge. " In order that the creditors on the 
tolls might receive their usual rate of interest, the clerk to 
the council was empowered to offer a sum not exceeding £881 
per annum for the tolls on horses, beasts, and carriages, for 
a period not exceeding tl^ree years. The bridge was made 
free for foot passengers on and after the 1st of September, 
thi?; year. 20tii. The workmen employed on the con- 
struction of the Aire viaduct, of the Leeds and Thirsk 
railway, discovered a strong spring of water near Kirkstall 
road, close to the river, at the depth only of twenty-two 
. feet, said to be much similar to the spa at Holbeck. 

23rd. The anniversary meeting of the Leeds Temperance 
society, at the Music-hall, Albion-street, was rendered of 
considerable interest by the presence of a North American 
Indian chief, Maun-Gwu-Daus, and his son in their native 
' costame, consisting of buffalo robes, shirts, leggings, mo- 
cassins, <fcc., ornamented with porcupine quills, and wild 
horse hair. Their caps were decorated with eagle's feathers, 
and the chief v<^ore a necklace made from the claws of the 

grisly bear. 27th. Hunslet, near Leeds, was made into 

a separate vicarage, on the recommendation of the ecclesias- 
tical commissioners of England, by which all that part of 
the parish of Leeds, comprised within the boundaries or 
limits of the township of Hunslet was forthwith constituted 
;and annexed to the chvirch or chapel of St. Mary, Hunslet, 
subject to the condition that the nave, or body of the church 
OT chapel should be entirely free, with the exception of tv,-^© 
pews intended to be made free. The chapelries of AUerton 
^nd Headingley, in the parish of Leeds, vieve also made into 
•a separate district, for sx)iritual purposes to be named ' ' the 
district of Meanioood." 

Sept. 1st. The first stone of the Sheffield Athenaeum, and 
Mechanics' Institution v/as laid by the Earl of Arundel. 
The same evening a soiree was held in the Music-hall, in 
•celebration of the event. The Earl of Arundel presided. 
Lord Morpeth, Colonel Thompson, M.P., Edward Baines, 
junr. Esq. , and others addressed the meeting. 

5th. A person named Peter Steel, was on the plan to 
preach at Great Horton chapel, near Bradford, on Sunday 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 549 

1847.— Sept. 

the 5th of Sept ; but he having become distasteful to- 
Thomas Myers, the secretary of the Horton circuit, another 
preacher was appointed to his pLace. Steel however deter- 
mined to preach, and attended the chapel for that purpose. 
On his arrival he ascended the pulpit, gave out a hymn, 
offered up a prayer etc. , and was proceeding with his sermon 
when Myers told him in a loud voice to " drop it." He per* 
sisted in preaching, upon which Myers ordered the organist to 
play a tune, and singing commenced. Steel finding it 
impossible to proceed with his sermon, left the chapel and 
preached outside. 

9th, 10th, and 11th. A great cricket match between 
eleven of all England, r, sixteen of Yorkshire, took place? 
at the Victoria cricket ground, Leeds. The former won by 

eight wickets. 16th. A frightful accident took place on the 

Lancashire and Yorkshire railway, near the Sowerby-bridge 
station, by which Mr. Gillard, connected with the telegraph, 
Wakefield, and E.. Weston, Esq., surveyor -general of the 
customs, London, were killed, and several other persons 
were severely injured. The accident was caused by a broken 
rail throwing the last carriage off the line. A mone- 
tary panic took place during this month. The commercial 
failures in London and other places, were of a most serious 
nature. The mercantile house of G-ower, Nephew, and Co. 
of which one of the partners was a director of the Bank of 
England, stopped payment (Sept. 11th.) with liabilities- 
amounting to £800,000. Two days afterwards the failure of 
Messrs. R. Sanderson, and Co. , bOl brokers took place, they 
ranked second among that class in London. The immediate 
cause of their suspension was the amount of bills held by 
them, belonging to several extensive corn merchants, who 
had failed. On the 18th, Messrs. Lesley, Alexander, and 
Co. , and Reid, Irving, and Co. , suspended, the latter ^vith 
liabihties amounting to £1,500,000. The head of this firm 
was one of the senior directors of the Bank of England. 
On the 21st, the well known firm of Burt, Watson, and 
Burt of Manchester and Leeds, suspended, with liabilities 
of about £200,000. This firm involved that of Watson, 
Brothers, and Co., Liverpool. The above failures were 
speedily succeeded by the stoppage of the Royal Bank of 
Liverpool, the Union Bank at Newcastle, and that of Messrs. 
Scholes, Tetlow, and Co., one of the oldest banks in Man- 
chester, (tc. , Arc. Trade was very bad both in Yorkshire 
and Lancashire. 

Oct. The Leeds Co-operative Flour and Provision Society, 



550 ANJfALS OP LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1847.— Oct. 

Marshall-street, Holbeck, was formed this month, for the 
purpose of supplying its members with unadulterated 
ilour, at the lowest possible price. It was started with about 
1,500 members, at 21s. each ; it has now 3,400 members, 
who have never paid more than 21s. each ; yet, by accumu- 
lation of profits, the shares are now valued at 50s. each, 
and the members have received in bonuses at least £3 per 
share. The society has a freehold mill and machinery in 
Marshall-street, Holbeck. The society is governed by a 
board of twenty directors, ten chosen half-yearly by ballot. 
The goods are sold through the agency of fifty shops, 
situated in various localities, extending over a diameter of 
fifteen miles, and the business turned over varies from 
£1,500 to £1,800 per week ; the average sale is about 400 
bags, or 8,000 stones of flour weekly, of 141bs. to the stone, 
aU the transactions being for ready money. 

1st, An event, memorable in the annals of Bradford, took 
place in the Exchange-rooms of that town, namely, the first 
ofiicial entertainment of Robt. Milligan, Esq. , the first mayor 
of the borough. The preparations for the event were on a 
scale of princely liberality and extraordinary splendour. 
The invitations included not only the elite of the town, but 
were extended to many leading persons in the county. The 
entertainment was modestly styled the " Mayor's dinner," 
but it was pre-eminently deserving the name of a banquet. 

7tli. The greatest solar eclipse visible over Great Britain 
for 83 years, occurred this morning, commencing at a 
quarter past six o'clock, and ending at four minutes past 

eight. 9th. Died, aged 54, the Rev. John Ely, for 

fourteen years minister of East-parade chapel, Leeds, pre- 
vious to Avhich he had been seventeen years minister of the 
Independent chapel, Rochdale. He was born at Rochester, 
in Kent, on the 20th of August, 1793. His father, Mr Daniel 
Ely, an architect and builder, died when he was young, his 
aged mother survived him. A friend, who knew him long, 
and well, has said of him that : — "He shone alike as the able 
and energetic minister, the faithful, affectionate, wise, and in- 
defatigable pastor, the meek yet mainly Christian, the true 
patriot, the enlightened philanthropist, the finished gen- 
tleman, the invaluable friend, the charming companion, the 
tender son, husband, and father. " He was interred at the 
"Woodhouse cemetery, where a neat column has been erected, 
bearing this inscription : — 

"In memory of John Ely, pastor of the Independent church, East- 
parade chapel, Leeds. Born August 20th, 1793 j died, October 9th, 184/. 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 551 

1847 —Nov 

This monument is erected as a tribute oF grateful affection, by 
the members of his Bible clai^ses. Feed my hnnbs." 

LEEDS MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS, 1st November, 1847. 

Those in brackets were elected. 

Mii.L-HiLL, [Thomas Ne-vsnmp, C, 315 ; Erhvin Eodison, L, 314;] 

John Sangster, C, 312 ; E. Birchall, \im , L, 309. West, [Joseph 

Richardson, L, 658 ; George Robson.^L, 650 ;1 John Patrick, C, 353 ; 

J. K. Clapham, C.319. North West, [David Newton, K,361 ;] 

John Daniel, C, 271. Norih, [Thoma-s Ellis,!?, 335;] James 

Warl, C,40. North East. [Thomas Brumfitt, L, 486 ;j Samuel 

Lawson, C, 471. East, [William Hey vvood, C, 516;] E. ?v'org:ui, 

R, 44/. — . — KiRKfJATR, [Richard Stead, C, 231 ;] J. Jacksnn, jun, L. 

219. South. [H. Grei^ham, L, 101;] John Jackson, R, 69. 

HuNSLRT, [Williim West] Holbeck, [William Brook, R, 675; 

J. Gaunt, L, 630 :] John Tempest, C, 450 Buamlev, [Richard 

Wi'son, L; Wm. Tattersall, C] Headtnglky, [Jas. Martin, C] 

Nov. 9. Franci.s Carbutt, Esq , elected maj^or. 

Nov. 5tli. Died, aged 90, the Hon. Edward Vernon Har- 
Goiirt, D.C.L., Arclibisliop of York. He was the son of tlie 
first Lord Vernon, hy his third wife, Martha, daughter of the 
Hon. Simon Harcoiui;, and was bom Oct. 10th, 1757. He 
married in 1784 the third daughter of the first Marquis of 
Stafibrd, (she died in 1832,) and assumed the name of Har- 
court on inheriting the estates of that family. In 1785 he 
was appointed canon of Christ church ; in 1791 bishop of 
Carlisle, and was translated to the sec of York in January, 
1808. The deceased was very highly respected. As a re- 
ligious teacher his precepts were clear and forcible, and his 
life was highly consistent v.dth them. He held the see of 
York forty years, a period longer than any of his prede- 
cessors. Thomas Musgrave, D.D., Bishop of Hereford, 
was installed his successor on the 13th of January, 1848. 

6th. The foundation stone of the church of St. John the 
Evangelist, Holbeck, was laid by the Lord Bishop of Ripon,, 
and the edifice was completed in 1850. It was built and 
endowed by Messrs. Marshall, with £150 a year, and £500- 
in the three-per-cents as a perpetual repair fund. It is 
situated in Sweet-.street, West, near their extensive mills. 
The exterior is a beautiful and chaste specimen of the early 
English style, massive and dignified. The chief beauties, 
however, are to be found in the interior. Instead of having 
three high open roofs, as is usual in this style, it is con- 
structed after the plan of the Temple Church, having- 
vaultings of stone of equal height throughout, probably the^ 



552 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK AND 

m4;r._Nov. 

only instance to be found in a modern chnrch. The vaulting 
is supported by slender clustered columns of Aubigney stone, 
excepting between the chancel and its side chapel, which 
consists of five detatched shafts of polished Derbyshire 
marble, and is peculiarly elegant in its efiect. All the win- 
dows of the nave are filled with stained glass, and when the 
chancel is completed, the efiect will be of the most gorgeous 
and costly character. The seats are all open ; of oak ; and 
the pulpit of unique design. It was built from designs by 
the distinguished ecclesiastical architect, G. G. Scott, Esq., 
of London. The benefice is a vicarage, valued at £250, in 
the patronage of J. G. and H. C. Marshall, Esqrs. The 
Hev. J. P. Ward is vicar. The choral service is beautifully 

performed here. The burial grounds attached to the 

parish church, Leeds, and St. Mary's, within the township 
of Hunslet being so filled with corpses, were ordered to be 
closed from further interments after the 30th of November. 

11th. Samuel Vickers and his wife, of High-street, Leeds, 
were convicted before the Leeds magistrates, of adulterating 
flour with plaster of Paris, for which they sufiered imprison- 
ment. 

Dec. The prevailing epidemic, influenza, which existed at 
this time to a great extent in London and other parts of the 
country, as well as upon the contiuent of Europe, found its 
way into a great many families in Leeds, who suffered from 

its debilitating influence. 1st. A grand soiree of the 

Leeds Mechanics' Institution, took place at the Music-hall. 
Charles Dickens, Esq. , presided, and addresses were delivered 
by Geo. Stephenson, Esq., the celebrated engineer. Professor 
Johnstone, of Durham University, Dr. Hodgson, of Man- 
chester, and others. 13th. Alexander Blenkinsop, 

manufacturing chemist. Meadow-lane, Leeds, was committed 
to York Castle, for forgery, and subsequently transported 

for ten years. A select committee of the House of 

Commons sat at this time, to enquire into the commercial 

distress of the country. The Leeds Stock Exchange, 

Albion-street, Leeds, was erected this year by the share- 
brokers association, for their own accommodation, at a cost 
of £12, 500. It is a large edifice, built of stone, and presents 
a very striking architectural feature. At the time the build 
ing was erected, it was intended that the rooms on the 
ground floor should be used as a club house, but the plan 
was not carried out ; and that part of the building was after- 
wards let to Messrs. Denby and Co. , and is now called the 
*' Exchange Rooms," having an entrance in Albion-street. 



THE SURROUXDiXG DISTRICT. 553 

3847.— Dbc. 

Tiie upper rooms are used by the Sharebrokers' Association, 
as a Stock Exchange for dealing in shares and securities of 
every description. The business transacted is considerable. 
J. H. Ridsdale, Esq., is the chairman, and Mr. Charles 
Wellbeloved the secretarj^. 

The Leeds School of Practical Art, which is a branch of 
the Mechanics' Institute and Literary Society, and also con- 
nected with the Department of Science and Art, South 
Kensington, was established in the year 1847, for the pur- 
pose of instructing young men preparing for, or engaged in, 
art industiy or manufactures. The school is supported by 
subscriptions, donations, and fees from the pui:)]Is, and is 
yearly examined by the inspector from tlie department of 
Science and Art, London, who awards them prizes, and 
reports upon the efhciency of the successful pupils. Mr. 
Charles B.yan, a certificated art teacher, is head master, 
assisted by competent teachers from the Science and Art 
department. The school is governed by a sub-committee 
selected from the committee of the 3Iechanics' Institution. 

1848. A smaU rudely formed vessel now in the Museum 
at York, was found at Boston, on the Wharf e, about three 
miles from Tadcaster, (the Roman station, Calcaria), in the 
year 1848, in digging for the foundations of a house. It 
contained about two hundred Eoman silver coins, many of 
them belonging to the Consular series much worn ; the rest 
to the series of Imperial denarii ; the latest being coins of 
Hadrian, in good j)reservation ; during whose reign it is 
probable the treasure was concealed. 

Jan. Mr. Ralph Waldo Emerson, the American poet and 
essayist, delivered a course of lectures at the Leeds Me- 
chanics' Institute. 19th, Michael Stokes, a native of 

Dublin, and a soldier in the Leeds horse barracks, Chapel- 
town-road, out of jealousy, shot dead a female, named 
Margaret Garratt. He was tried at York, on the 20th of 
March, for ^vilf ul murder, found guilty, and sentenced to 
death, and was executed on the 1 3th of May. 

The distress of the labouring population at Bradford was 
very great. About 1,500 families were recipients from the 
relief fund, 

Feb. 3. Died, aged 71, Joseph Taylor, Esq. , senior part- 
ner in the firm of Messrs. Taylor, Wordsworth and Co., 
machine makers, Leeds. To the causes of religion, educa- 
tion, and charities, he was a munificent benefactor. His 
donation of £1,000, in 1845, tovrards the liquidation of the 
debt on East-parade chapel, originated a movement which 

47 



554 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

184-<.-Fbb. 

led to the discharge of all the debts on the Independent 
chapels in Leeds, and in several other parts of Yorkshire. 
He left legacies to several charities, amongst which may be 
mentioned £200 to the Leeds Town Mission, £250 to the 
Leeds Infirmary, £250 to the Leeds House of Recovery, and 
£100 to the Leeds Public Dispensary. 25th. The tele- 
graph announced to the British people this day, that a 
fearful revolution had burst out in Paris on the 22nd, in 
consequence of the government attempting to prevent the 
holding of a Reform banquet. The people erected barricades 
in the principal streets of Paris ; the national guards and 
the troops refused to act against the populace, and in four 
and twenty hours Louis Phillip was dethroned. The palace 
of the Tuilerries was stormed and sacked ; the mob burst 
into the Chamber of Deputies, whence they expelled the 
members, and proclaimed a republic. The monarch, who a 
few days before had seemed as firmly seated on his throne as 
any in Europe, was a fugitive, with his queen, flying in 
disguise, without money, and without clothes. He at length 
reached England, in an old pea-coat, borrowed from the 
master of a steamboat. The French revolution was speedily 
followed by revolutions in Prussia, Austria, and Italy, and 
indeed, every country in Europe was more or less shaken by 
the event. In Ireland, Smith O'Brien, John MitcheU, and 
others advocated physical force. 

March. Wakefield and Halifax received their charters of 

incorporation, 11th. About noon on Saturday, the 

viaduct which was in course of erection over the river Nidd, 
at Knaresbro', for the use of the East and West Yorkshire 
Junction Railway Company, fell with a tremendous crash, 
in consequence of some imperfection in the middle pier, 
which suddenly gave way beneath the burden of the stu- 
pendous arches. The calamity was unattended with any 
personal injury or loss of life. The ruins dammed up the 
river, and caused a serious inundation in the immediate 
vicinity. The viaduct was about 100 yards in length, and 
its height somewhat more than 90 feet above the level of the 
river. The loss sustained was estimated at about £10,000. 
A large quantity of fish was killed, owing to the water 
becoming impregnated with the lime attached to the falling 
material. 16th. At the Yorkshire assizes, George Cal- 
vert and James Mellor, were charged with the wilful murder 
of Wm. Wood, at Fairweather, near Bradford, on the 8th of 
December, 1847, found guilty, sentenced to death, and 
hanged. 18th. About a quarter to ten o'clock on 



THE SURROIIN'DIXG DISTRICT. 555 

1848.— March 

Saturday niglit, the 18th of March, a serious and fatal 
accident occurred at the circus of Mr. W, Darby, alias 
Pablo Fanque. King Charles'-croft. Leeds. It was the 
benefit night of Mr. W. F. AVallett, the clown, and the. 
circus, consisting of a temporary wooden structure, was 
crowded in every pait. The pit, which contained more than 
600 persons, fell with a tremendous crash, precipitating a 
great number of people into the gallery adjoining the front 
of the pit, but on a lower level. A many others fell into 
the lobby, and some out at one side, for the weight of the 
falling timber, and the people together, had burst out a 
portion of the side of the circus nearest to Land's-lane. 
IVIrs. Darby and Mrs. Wallett were both in the lobby at the 
time of the occurrence. They M'ere both knocked down by 
the falling timber ; two heavy planks fell upon the back part 
of the head and neck of Mrs, Darby, and killed her on the 
spot. Mrs. Wallett, besides a many other persons received 
bruises and contusions, but the above was the only fatal 
accident. The unfortunate woman was interred at the 
Woodhouse cemetery, where a monument records the melan- 
choly event as follows : — 

" Sacred to the memorr of Susannah Darhy, aged 47 j'ears, the 
beloved wife of William Darby, equef^trian manager, professionally 
Icrown as Pablo Fanque Her death was occasioned by the falling:- 
of a portion of the circus, erected in King Charles'-croft, on Saturdayy 
the l«th of March, 1848. 

'Jo God's decree we mortals all must bend, 
' Thy will be done,' — our best and only friend, 
My soul by thy commands is borne away 
To realms of light and never ending day. 
Torn from this world, and from my husband dear, 
Pity my fate, and drop a silent tear. 
Her bereaved and afflicted husband has caused this monument to 
be erected." 

23rd. Mr. Pdchard Hodgson Pickard, late sexton of the 
Leeds parish church, was bujried in St. Peter's new burial 
g-round, at the bottom of Kirk^iite, The funeral drew 
together an unusual number of people, because of its taking 
place notwithstaudiug the order in council of the 30th of 
November last, closing the burial ground, and was persisted 
in, in order to test the question, whether the order in coun- 
cil applied to parties who had private graves, and which 
were not filled up. Dr. Hook officiated. 

April. A Roman vault was discovered about four feet from 
the surface of the ground near to Mr. Close's, within the 



556 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK AND 

1848.— April: 

city walls, York. Several large blocks of Lammer-dressed 
stones, composed the cover, as well as the sides and ends of 
the vault. The whole formed an area of eight feet in length 
by three feet wide. The vault had contained a coffin of 
cedar wood, which was greatly decayed. It had no lid, and 
the course of interment appears to have been, that the body, 
wrapped in cloth, had been thus deposited in the coffin, 
which was six feet long by nineteen inches wide. After 
the coffin had been placed in the vault, the whole had been 
cased in concrete, poured into the vault and coffiji in a 
liquid state, and as it hardened formed a perfect shield. 
On removing this concrete, a skull and several bones in a 
very perfect state were discovered. The lower jaw had a 
complete set of beautifully formed teeth, and the upper jaw 
also had some fine teeth. On the plaster was an excellent 
cast of the body, some of which is preserved entire, and 
developes the form of the shoulders most accurately. The 
texture of the cloth is also shown on the line. The remains 
were presented to the Yorkshire Philosophical Society. 

The small pox was very prevalent in Leeds. 

On Sunday, the 2nd of April, Leeds, Huddersfield, 
Bradford, Miriield, Wakefield, and other places were 
visited by one of the most awful thunder storms that had 
occurred for a many years. • A servant of Mrs, Clark, of 
Headingley, vras struck by the lightning, and nearly killed. 
The lightning killed a Mrs. Ellis, of Stanley. About half- 
way up Almondbury Bank, at Huddersfield, a cottage, in 
the course of erection, was struck, in which were several 
boys, three of whom were killed on the spot. Their namea 
were, Henry and William Armitage, and William Winter- 
bottom. The streets of Huddersfield were completely flooded.' 
Immense damage was done to property. Miss Roebuck, of 
Wood-nook, Honley, was struck dead, and also a dog that 
was laid at her feet. Sarah Ellis, of East-moor, Wakefield, 
and Mr. \¥illiam Baker, of Mirfield, were killed by the 
lightning. The storm appears to have been general both in 
Yorkshire and Lancashire, and the casualities were more or 
less numerous at every place that came under its influence. 

Poor Law Guardians elected 5th of April. 1848 : — 
Those in brackets were elected. 

East. [William Burrow Hainsworth, ^"Jb ; George Lumh, 675 ;] 

Joseph Watson, 6 17 ; John Wainman, G15. Kirkgatk, [Robert 

Taylor, •335 ; Kobt. Issott,237 ;] John Brown, 210 ; 'ihomas Hartley, 

209. Mill-Hill, [Thos. Wilson, 442; John Kighley Clapham, 

451 ; Thomas Dawkins, 456 ;] Edwin Heycock, 318; Joseph Pearson, 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 557 

1848.— April. 

281. North, [Richard Sread, 491 ; James Ward, 464 ;] John 

Wales, 41/; \Vm. Brook, 408. North-East, [Jolin Metcalfe, 

566; John Morfitt, 530;' John Trumble, 402; John Barrett, 47]. 

North-West, [WiiK Fieldhouse, 654; J. Howard, 641 ;J John 

Patrick, 437; Joseph Hall, 423. South, [Thomas Walsh, John 

Kirk ] West, [Peter Law Atkinson, 905 ; Thomas Ne\v>ani,918 ; 

Benjamin Burrell, 90S ;] James Shirps, 651 : Wm. Avens, 713; Geo. 
Tarham, 802; J.vset.h Walker, !^09. John Metcalfe was elected 
chairman. 

Great distress prevailed in the ^YOollen and worsted dis- 
tricts of the West Riding, especially at Bradford and the sur- 
rounding villages. In Leeds, trade was almost at a stand stil], 

10th. This being the daj^ fixed by Fergus O'Connor, for 
the presentation to the House of Commons of the monster 
chartist petition, immense excitement was created through- 
out England, especially in the metropolis, which was 
strongly guarded by troops, and protected by the police and 
special constables ; the Bank of England was defended by 
Sappers and Miners. At this time the present Emperor 
Napoleon was a special constable in London, and lodged 
in a garret there. On presenting the petition to the 
House, Mr. O'Connor stated that it was signed by 5,700,000 
persons, and that the petitioners prayed for annual pn.rlia-^ 
ments, universal suffrage, vote by ballot, equal electoral 
districts, no property qualification, and payment of mem- 
bers. The petition was read to the House, and then re- 
moved. Great chartist meetings were held in most of 

the large towns of the kingdom. A large meeting was held 
on Skircoat-moor, near Halifax, on the 21st, and on Wood- 
house -moor, Leeds, on the 24th. A public meeting con- 
vened by the mayor, was held at Bradford on the 25th, 
in the Temperance-hall, to take into consideration the 
state of the country, and the necessity- of making repre- 
sentation co-extensive with taxation. 

May 1st. A desperate civil conflict broke out at Limerick, 
between the two sections of repealers, namely, the partizans 
of Mr. O'Connell and those of Smith O'Brien, Meagher, 
and Mitchell. Great excitement had for some time pre- 
vailed in Ireland. The government instituted prosecutions 
against O'Brien, Mitchell, and Meagher. On the 26th of 
May, Mitchell was found guilty, the other two were ac- 
quitted. After the conviction of MitcheU, great excitement 
prevailed in London and Manchester, in both places the 

military were called out. 9th. The Morley tunnel, on 

the Leeds and Dewsbury Railway was completed. It is 
3,370 yards, or nearly two miles long. At Leeds, on 



558 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YOSK, AND 

1848.— May. 

Sunday and Sionday, the 28tli and 29t]i of May, a large 
number of persons, mostly lads, assembled on Woodliouse- 
moor, armed with sticks, and vrent through various evolu- 
tions. The mayor issued a proclamation, cautioning parties 
against assembling, and calling attention to an act, entitled, 
" An act to prevent the training of persons to the use of 
arms, and to the practice of military evolutions, and exer- 
cise." A serious riot occurred at Biugley, and several of the 
leaders v/ere committed to York-castle. On the 29th of 
May, the authorities at Bradford determined to put a stop 
to the drilling and parading the streets, which had for some 
time prevailed. The consequence Y.^as that a collision took 
place between the populace and the civil and military forces. 
At the corner of Adelaide-street, the police a,ttempted to 
make the large crowd of persons assembled at this point 
disperse. The police drew their cutlasses, the special con- 
stables their staves, and they were met by the mob with 
bludgeons, stones, and brick-bats. In the thickest of the 
fight the dragoons galloped to the spot and quelled the 
disturbance, but not before a many persons had been 
seriously wounded. Similar disturbances occurred in the 
neighbourhood of White Abbey, Bradford, on the 3rd of 
June, when the military were again called out. Several 
persons were committed to York, and suffered imprison- 
ment. In London, Mr. Ernest Jones, and other chartist 
leaders, Avere arrested on a charge of using seditious language, 
subsequently found guilty, and sentenced to be imprisoned. 
A monster chartist meeting was held on Toftshaw-moor, on 
the 12tli of June, but all passed off peaceably, though the 
authorities v/ere armed ready to suppress any disturbance 
that might have taken place. 

June 7tli. The workmen employed on the Leeds and 
Dewsbury railway, in the ground near Spring Hill Gardens, 
between Wellingfcon-street and the suspenson bridge, nearly 
opposite the end of Queen-street, Leeds, dug up a large 
quantity of human bones, consisting of skulls and thigh 
bones, supposed to have been buried there during the civil 
wars. Large cannon balls have been found near the same 
place ; one recently, which is in the Philosophical-hall, 
weighs 28Jlbs. 

Louis Napoleon was admitted a member of the French 
INational Assembly. He was at the time in London. 

lOtii. Died, aged 85, Benjamin Goodman, Esq., of Leeds. 
He was a zealous friend of many local charities, and the 

father of the late Sir George Goodman. 12th. A cricket 

match was played on the Yictoria ground, Woodliouse, Leeds, 



THE SURR0UND1^'G DISTHICT. 559 

1848.— June. 

"between the Leeds cricket club, and tlie Bradford Brunswick 
club, wliich was won by tlie latter with four wickets to fall. 

13th. The annual meeting of the Yorkshire Union of 
Mechanics' Institutes was held in the city of Ripon. The 

Dean of Eipon presided. 15th. A public meeting of 

the inhabitants of Leeds was held in the yard of the mixed 
cloth-hall, convened and presided over by the mayor, to 

promote parliamentary reform. 25th. A four days civil 

"war took place in the streets of Paris, more than thiHy 
thousand men are said to have been killed and wounded, 
including among the killed four generals, four members of 
the National assembly, the Archbishop of Paris, and a crowd 
of officers, as well as multitudes of citizens, acting as national 
guards. General Cavaignac was elected president of council 
with the executive authority. 

July 12th. The tenth annual meeting of the Royal Agri- 
cultural Society of England was held at York, and in point 
of magnitude and importance the proceedings were un- 
equalled by those of any previous year. Prince Albert, the 
Duke of Cambridge and others honoured the city by their 

presence. ISth. Died of erysipelas, aged 54, the Rev. 

Richard Winter Hamilton, LL.D., and D.D., minister of 
Belgrave Independent chapel, Leeds. He was a native of 
London, where he was born on the Gth of July, 1794. His 
father was the Rev. Frederick Hamilton, Independent 
minister of Brighton, and his mother, Martha, the daugh- 
ter of the Rev. Richard Winter, B.D., pastor of the Inde- 
pendent church, Kew- court, Carey-street, London. He 
was late in speaking plain and learning to read, and as a boy 
had unbounded sprits, and a lively imagination ; was a mimic 
and got plentifully into scrapes, but v>'as nobly and fearlessly 
truthful ; when a chUd, in frocks, riding from Brighton 
over the South Downs, on coming at once in sight of a 
richly wooded and extensive country, he stood silent a few 
minutes, and then, with glowing countenance exclaimed 
*' Mamma, this m^ust be heaven !" He was educated partly 
at a school in the Isle of Wight, and partly at the Protestant 
Dissenters grammar school. Mill-hill, near London. In 
August, 1810, he became a student at Hoxton college, 
where he made great progress in his studies. On the loth 
of March, 1815, he was ordained the minister of Albion 
chapel, Leeds, then in the occupation of the Independents. 
This body removed to a more commodious and handsome 
structure, Belgrave chapel, which was opened on the Gth of 
January, 1836, where Mr. Hamilton continued his ministry 



560 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1848.— July. 

till tlie close of kis life. He married on the 21st of May, 1816^ 
Rachel, the daughter of Michael Thackray, Esq. , of Leeds^ 
by whom he had two daughters, and a son. The birth of 
the latter was fatal to the mother. On the 6th of December 
1836, he married Harriet, daughter of John Robson, Esq., 
of Sutton-hall, who survived him. His eloquence, high 
attainments, and wit, placed him in a commanding position 
amongst his fellow-men. His published works are numer- 
ous, showing great intellectual power, research, and a great 
exhuberance of language. Milton's description of the 
English people has not been inaptly applied to him — " Not 
slow and dull, but of a quick, ingenious, and piercing 
spirit ; acute to invent, subtile and sinewy to discourse, not 
beneath the reach of any point the highest that human, 
capacity can soar to. " In private life he was deservedly es- 
teemed for the purity of his character, and for the warmth 
and sincerity of his social affections. He was interred at 
Woodhouse cemetery, and his remains were followed to their 
last resting place by hundreds of the inhabitants, and many 
Independent ministers and laity from other towns at a 
distance. The Rev. Dr. Raffles, of Liverpool, impressively 
read the funeral service. A monument to the memory of 
the deceased was erected in Woodhouse cemetery in March, 
1851, from a design prepared by Mr. J. Dobson, architect, 
and executed in cleansed stone, from Park- Spring quarries, 
by Mr. George Hogg, of Leeds. It stands above twenty- three 
feet in height, and covers a space of about seven feet square at 
the base. It is a chaste and beautiful classical structure, 
composed of a base or pedestal, supporting four Grecian 
Doric columns, six feet nine inches high, surmounted by an 
appropriate architrave, frieze and cornice, (fcc. The archi- 
trave is ornamented with guttae, or drops, the triglyphs 
usually placed over them in the frieze, are omitted, and 
sculptured representations of the cross, a book, and olive 
branches entwined and tied by ribbons, substituted instead. 
The four angles are ornamented with honeysuckles and 
hanging v^eaths. On the top of the pedestal in the centre 
of the space between the columns, is placed a large and 
massive urn, partly covered by drapery. The _ base or 
l^edestal is seven feet square, and seven feet six inches in 
height, composed of plinth, base dado, and cornice, with 
projections at the angles panelled on the face, and an in- 
verted torch cut in them, symbolical of death. The dado 
on the four sides of the pedestal has projecting tables, for 
inscriptions, on one of which is the following : — 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 561 

1848.— July. 

" In memory of Rich;) r J Winter Harailtou, LL D., D.D., 34 years 
pastor of the Indepeinlent church assembling- in Albion and Belgrave 
cliape]s,LeeuS. HediedJuly 18th, 1848, aged 54 years. His rare talerits, 
exten.xive learning;, and fervid eloquence, were coasecrated to the glory 
of God and the highest interest of man. As a minister and pastor, he 
was ejrisest, affectionate, and faithful; as a divine, zealous for soand 
theology and evangelical truth. Honoured and beloved for his 
genuine piety and hi^h principle, the, warmth and openness of his 
heart, his ardent patriotism and love of freedom. This monument, 
erected by his tovvnsraen, testifies that they mourned his death and 
cherish his memory." 

21st. In consequence of a tlireateued rebellion in 
Ireland, the House of Commons passed a bill to suspend the 
Habeas Corpus act in Ireland until the 1st of March, 1849. 
The effect of tlie act would be to detain in custody, without 
bail, prisoners charged "i^-ith high treason, or treasonable 
practices. The rebellion soon after broke out. Smith 
O'Brien and other leaders were arrested on charges of high 
treason, subsequently found guilty, and transported for life. 

At this time, the deaths from cholera in St. Peters - 
bui'gh were 1,500 daily. The disease was steadily moving 
westward, and the English government were already taking 
precautionary measures in case of its aT^pearance in England. 

31st. The Leeds and Dewsbury Railway was this day 
formally opened by the directors. The line was opened to 
the public on the 18th of September. 

Aug. 1st. Died, aged 42, after a protracted and lingering 
illness, borne vdih exemplary patience and entire resignation 
to the divine will, the Rev. Joseph Ware, A.M., for nine 
jears the much esteemed and laborious incumbent of St. 

Stephen's, KirkstaU. The Doncaster Gazette stated 

that ' ' On the 1st of August, 1848, about eleven o'clock in 
the forenoon, in the centre of a movv^n field, about a mile 
from Methley, a gush of water burst out to tlie height of 
twelve inches. Immediately afterwards it was followed by 
Jfire and vapour to the height of about three feet." The 
extraordinary circumstance attracted the notice of the en- 
gine driver of a train to Methley, who stopped the train, 
and the phenomena was witnessed by the passengers. 

Died, about midnight, on the 3rd of August, aged 
74 years and six months, Edward Baines, Esq. , of Leeds, 
senior proprietor of the Leeds Mercury, and formerly one 
of the members of the borough. He was the second son of 
Richard and Jane Baines, of Preston in Lancashire, and 
-was bom on the 5th of Feljruary, 1774, at Walton-le-dale, 



562 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1848.— .Aug. 

near tliat place. His father was first an excise officer, then 
a grocer, then a cotton spinner and manufacturer, and during 
the latter years of his life a land agent, and coal merchant. 
Edward was apprenticed when upwards of sixteen years of 
age to Mr. Thomas Walker, printer, of Preston. On the 
1st of June, 1793, Mr. Walker started a liberal newspaper 
called the Preston Heview, but after a two years existence it 
was discontinued. The business in the printing office was so- 
much diminished, that young Baines, although he had two 
years still to serve, received from his master his indentures. 
He then left Preston for Leeds in search of work as a printer. 
He walked the whole distance with a bundle on his arm, and 
very little money in his pocket. On his arrival at Leeds, he 
proceeded to the printing office of Messrs. Binns and Brown, 
the publishers of the Leeds Mercury, and enquired if they 
had room for an apprentice to finish his time. He was 
taken into the office, and by his punctuality, industry, and 
good manners, soon won the esteem and confidence of his 
employers. His apprenticeship terminated in the month of 
September, 1797, and on the following day he commenced 
business as a printer in the Rose and Crown Yard, Briggate, 
in partnership with a Mr. Fen wick, the firm being ' ' Baines 
and Fen wick." In the early part of the foUomng year the 
partnership was dissolved. On the 2nd of July, 1798, he 
married Charlotte, the daughter of Mr, Matthew Talbot, of 
Leeds. She was a most affectionate, pious, and Grod fearing 
woman, and exercised no little influence on the future career 
of her husband and family. She survived her husband two 
years and a half, and died Feb. 26th, 1851, aged 75 years. 
On his marriage he took a house and printing office in 
Dickiuson's-court, Briggate, where business soon poured in 
upon him, for he was known to be a man of industrious, 
frugal, temperate, and punctual habits. In 1801, by the 
assistance of his friends who lent him £1000, (which he re- 
paid with interest,) he purchased the copyright of the Leeds 
Mercury, the good-will of the printing business, and the 
printing materials for the sum of £1,552. He also took a- 
lease for seven years of the printing office iu Mercury-yard, 
71010 Heaton's-court, Briggate. The first number of the 
Mercury published by him appeared on the 7th of March, 
1801, and from that time it was considered to be the organ of 
the whig and dissenting interest in Leeds. One evening in 
November, 1805, Mr. Baines' dwelling situate on the south 
side of Park-square, was partially destroyed by fire, by 
which he suffered the loss of his furniture. At the begin- 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 563 

1848.— Are. 

ning of 1807 lie removed his business to premises in the 
middle of Briggate, just abov^e Duncan- street end, where it 
was continued until after his death. The Mercury was 
originally established in May, 1718. It was then of small 
dimensions, printed on twelve pages of small quarto size 
and large tyj^e, containing altogether about 5,000 words, 
price l|-d. After the paper came into the hands of Mr. 
Baines it gradually increased in circulation, and was from 
iime to time enlarged in size. In 1801 the w^eekly circulation 
was about 800 copies ; in 1804 it was 1,500 ; in 1806, 1,950 ; 
in 1829, 5,200. In 1845 the paper was further enlarged, 
and contained nine times more matter than when it first 
came into ^Ir. Baines' hands. In 1847 the weekly circula- 
tion was 9, 200. The Mercury is said to have been the first 
paper in Yorkshire that sent a reporter to the York assizes. 
In 1814 Mr. Baines commenced the publication in monthly 
parts, of a work entitled "The History of the wars of the 
French Revolution. " It extended to two quarto volumes. 
The history was afterwards expanded into a History of the 
Reign of George III. , by the addition of two other volumes. 
This work is said to have been very successful, the sale being 
about 150, 000 copies. In 1818 he had a family of nine children. 
At this time he built for himself a house in King-street, 
where he continued to reside until his death. Mr. Baines 
had altogether eleven children, two died in infancy, and 
nine grew up to maturity and married. The parents lived to 
see upwards of forty grand-children. In 1821 he purchased an 
estate at Chat Moss, situate a few miles beyond Manchester, 
on the line of the Liverpool and Manchester railway, and "for 
more than a quarter of a century "^dsited it with lively in- 
terest, and felt more than the pleasure of the man who had 
made two blades of grass to grow, where only one had grown 
before. " In 1827 he took his son Edward (the jjresent member 
for Leeds) into partnership, though he had long assisted in the 
management of the paper. At the beginning of 1831 he 
commenced the publication of his " History of the county 
Palatine, and Duchy of Lancaster." Mr. Edward Baines, 
junr., composed for the work the History of the Cotton 
Maniifacture. From the year 1807 when the memorable con- 
test of Lascelles and Milton for the AVest-Riding took place, 
(Baines espousing the case of Lord Milton,) he showed him- 
seK a most active politician, and took a lead in all the public 
movements for national and local reform, and rendered 
especial ser^dce to his party in the agitation for the Reform 
act of 1832. He also rendered great assistance in the form- 



564 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1848.— AUG. 

ation of Mechanics' Institutes, Infant Schools, Saving's 
Banks, (fee. On the 14th of February, 1834, he had the dis- 
tinguished honour of being elected member of parliament for 
Leeds in opposition to Sir John Beckett, in the place of Mr. 
Macaulay, who had accepted a seat in the council of the 
Governor -general of India, On the 7th of January, 1835, 
he was again returned for Leeds, along with Sir John 
Beckett. On the 27th of July, 1837, he was returned along 
with Sir William Molesworth, and in opposition to Sir 
John Beckett. He continued to represent Leeds laboriously, 
and with great ability and impartiality until May, 1841, 
v/hen he retired on account of his declining health. From 
that time he devoted what time his health would allow to 
various public duties, especially those of a magistrate, he 
having been placed on the commission of peace for the 
borough, as well as for the West-Riding. In 1847 he had 
the high satisfaction of seeing his eldest son, Mr. M. T. 
Baines returned as member for Hull. This son was after- 
wards returned three times for Leeds, and his second son 
Edward is now (1860) one of the members for Leeds. In 
the spring of 1848, Mr. Baines experienced a sensible decline 
of his health. He died as before mentioned, exhibiting in 
his last moments the beautiful picture of a good man pre- 
pared to meet his end. His illness and death excited a high 
degree of sympathy in the town, throughout Yorkshire, and 
indeed in many other parts of the kingdom. His funeral 
was a public one, and vv^as attended by thousands of his 
fellow-men of every grade, and mthout distinction of party, 
who all lamented him as a good man and a public benefactor. 
He was interred at the Woodhouse cemetery, very near the 
place v/here the Eev. John Ely, and the Rev. Dr. Hamilton 
were interred. The estimation in which Mr. Baines was 
held was not only shown by the testimonial presented to 
him during his life, and by the' honours of his public funeral ; 
but some time after his death, a full-length portrait by 
Waller was bought by public subscription, and presented to 
the Leeds Mechanics' Institution and Literary Society, of 
whose hall it forms a principal ornament, and where it con- 
stantly reminds the young of one of the best models they 
can follow in the pursuit of honour and happiness. Still 
later, a large subscription was raised by Yery numerous con- 
tributors (of all parties) in Leeds and the neighbouring 
towns, with several of his old friends in both Houses of 
Parliament, to erect a statue in his honour in some public 
part of the town of Leeds. The statue was executed with 



THE SUEKOUyDlXG DISTRICT. 565 

1848.— Ara. 

great ability by Behnes, and is an excellent likeness. The 
size is colossal, being eight feet in height ; and it is made of 
a faultless block of Carrara marble. Tt "was committed to 
the care of the Town Council of Leeds, who placed it in 
the Town Hall, opened in the year 1858. It bears the fol- 
lowing inscription : — 

"To commemorate the public services and jirivatp virtues of Edward 
Baines, who f;<ithiully, ably, and zealously rt-presented the borough 
of Leeds in tliree s-.icce.ssive Parliaments. As a man, a citizen, and 
a patriot, he was distiiipuished by his integrity and perseverance, his 
benevolence and public spirit, his independence and consistency. 
This monument is elected by voluntary subscription, that posterity 
may know and emulate a character loveil and honoured by his con- 
temporaries. Bora 5th February, i/Y-i. Died 3rd August, 1848.'" 

"In combination with strong natural powers of understand- 
ing, strengthened and matured by practical exercise in the 
real business of life and amid stirring events, Mr. Baines 
had great industry and perseverance, as well as patience 
and resolution, and with these he possessed pleasing man- 
ners and address. In person, he was of a firm well-built 
frame, rather a.bove the average stature, his features were 
regular, his expression of countenance frank and agreeable ; 
and he retained his personal comeliness as well as his 
vivacity and suavity of mannei's to the last, showing I'ut 
sligthly the outward characteristics of his advanced years, 
and evidencing by this token of a ' green old age, ' the 
equability of a well poised mind, and the felicity of temper- 
ament which graced the declining years of his long and 
well-spent life." 

[For a fuller account of this remarkable man, see his life, 
by his son Edward, recently republished in a cheap form, 
from which this sketch has been drawn. ] 

12th. Died, aged 67, George Stephenson, Esq. , the cele- 
brated engineer, at his seat, at Tapton, Derbyshire. He 
was born at Wylam, a coUiery village, near Newcastie-on- 
Tyne. on the 9th of June, 1781. AVhen only six j^ears of 
age, he was sent do\\Ti the pit as a ' ' trapper. " He after- 
wards went to Callerton pit, to drive the ' ' gin. " Before he 
was tAventy he was appointed to the situation of engineman, 
at 10s. a week. At the age of twenty- one, he resolved to 
marry, and fixed his aifections upon a Miss Hindmarsh, the 
daughter of a respectable farmer ; beiug only a poor man, 
he was not considered a suitable match, and his proposals 
were declined. As the mistress would not have him, he 
made proposals to the servant, was accepted, and married. 

48 



566 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1848.— Aug. 

She proved a good wife. The late Robei*t Stephenson, one 
of the most eminent engineers of modern times, and one 
of the best and most liberal of men, was the result of this 
union. She died soon after Robert's birth, and in a few 
years after George again offered himself to Miss Hindmarsh, 
and this time was accepted. This second marriage was a 
prosperous one, and the pair lived long and happily to- 
gether. He left Callerton to go to Wallbottle, afterwards 
to Willington, and then to Killingworth, in each place act- 
ing as brakesman and attending the engine while drawing up 
the coals from the pit. At the age of twenty-three he began 
to learn to read, (fee. In working night-shifts, he had 
plenty of spare time, of which he made good use. He in- 
vented a safety lamp, turned his ready hand to anything, 
cleaned clocks and watches, cut clothes out for pitmens 
wives, made shoes, (fee. He made a sun-dial, which he fixed 
over the door of his cottage at Killingworth. In attending 
to the engine, he studied thoroughly its mechanism, and 
made several improvements in its working. He began to 
be called in to do the work of an engineer ; putting up steam 
engines under ground, layiug down trams or waggon ways, 
(fee. Years passed by, and George Stephenson became a 
prosperous man. He had long directed his attention to the 
locomotives, one of which he built in 1814, for the Killing- 
worth colliery. In this engine he adopted his great improve- 
ment in double cylinders. The engine succeeded well, and 
by the aid of his friend, Sir Thomas Liddle, (afterwards 
Lord Ravensworth,) he took out a patent for it. The next 
year he erected another engine, with further improve- 
ments. In 1822, he constructed the Stockton and Darling- 
ton Railway, which was the first for carrying jiassengers. 
He commenced a locomotive workshop in Newcastle, which 
afterwards expanded into a gigantic establishment. His 
engine, the Bochet, carried of the £500 prize on the opening 
of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, of which he was 
appointed engineer. In connexion with his son, he con- 
structed the London and Birmingham, the Midland, the 
York and North Midland, the Newcastle and Berwick, and 
Newcastle and Darlington, and many other lines, both in 
England and other parts of Europe. He was carried on by 
the full tide of railway prosperity, and accumulated a large 
fortune. He said of himself at a public dinner at Newcastle, 
shortly before his death : — "I may say, without being deemed 
egotistical, that I have mixed with a greater variety of society 
than perhaps any man living. I have dined in mines, for 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 567 

1848.— .A VG. 

I was once a miner, and I have dined with kings and queens, 
and with all grades of the nobility, and have seen enough to 
inspire me with the hope that my exertions have not been 
without their beneficial result — that my labour has not been 
in vain." In private life he was a man of gi-eat worth and 
liberality. He possessed a most indomitable energy and 
perseverance. The secret of his success in life, was his 
careful improvement of time. The labours of Mr. Stephen- 
son, who has been aptly styled the "father of the rail- 
way system," have tended greatly to multiply and spread 
abroad the conveniences of life, opening up new fields of 
industry, bringing nations nearer to each other, and thus 
promoting the great ends of civilization. 

14th. During chartist disturbances at Ashton, a policeman, 
named James Bright, was killed, and several other persons 

wounded. Died, aged 41, Mr. David Britain, organist 

of Eothv>'ell church. Although blind, he had for a many 
years ofiiciated as postman and letter carrier for Rothwell. 

25th. An emigrrvut ship, called the Ocean Monarch, was de- 
stroyed by tire near Liverpool. She had on board at the time 
360 passengers, 178 of whom were drowned or burnt to death. 
The whole would have perished but for three or four vessels- 
homeward and oulward bound coming to their rescue. A 
female passenger, named Mary Ann Taylor, of Crab-lane, 
Armley, near Leeds, (avIio was joining her husband in 
America,) in order to escape from the intolerable flames, 
bound her two children on her back and plunged with them 
into the sea ; she held by the rigging until the v/aves had 
destroyed the lives for which she risked her own, and was at 
last only snatched from death herseK by an Irishman loosing 
the rope which bound her treasures to her body, and so 
setting her free. 

On the 4th, 5th, and 6th of September, a grand cricket 
match was played at Bradford, between eleven of All 
England v. Bradford and district, when the latter proved 
victorious, with fifteen wickets to fall. 

Sept. lltii. ]Mi\ Joseph Barker, formerly of Wortley, 
near Leed^, a chartist lecturer, and editor and publisher of 
the People, was apprehended at Bolton, but was subse- 
quently released from custody. On the IStli, 19th, and 

20th, a cricket match was played at the Victoria Grounds, 
Leeds, between eleven of All England and eighteen of the 
Leeds Clarence club. The latter won the game, with four- 
teen wickets to fall. 

Oct. 7th. Died, at his seat, Castle Howard, aged 75, the 



568 ANNALS OF LSED^, YORK, AND 

1848.— Oct. 

R-ight Hon. Eari of Carlisle, K, G. He was tlie sixth earl, 
and v/as born on the 17th of September, 1773. He married 
21st March, 1801, the eldest daughter of the fifth Duke of 
Devonshire, by whom he had twelve children, ten of whom 
with their mother survived him. He was educated at Eton 
and at Christ Church, Oxford, where he took a high degree. 
He, like his fatlier, embarked earlj^ in political life, and 
subsequently held several important oJSices under govern- 
ment. 

HuNSLET Tragedy. — On Sunday evening, Oct. 8th, the in- 
habitants of Hunslet, near Leeds, were thrown into a state of 
great excitement and consternation, by the discovery that a 
horrible murder had been committed on a female, aged six- 
teen years, named Esther In-aian, residing with her step- 
father, Thomas Watson, in Varley's-yard, Hunslet, by her 
sweetheart, Thomas Maikin, aged seventeen, an operative 
glass manufacturer, but for twelve months past, employed as 
wood turner at Holdsworfcli's flax mill, residing in Merry- 
fold, Hunslet-moor-end, nearly opposite the Sun Inn. The 
unfortunate girl had from some cause or other declined 
Malkin's company, and on the night alluded to, being 
instigated by motives of jealousy or revenge, he went to 
the garden gate leading to Watson's house, and observing a 
girl, named Mary Ann Smith, coming out, he requested her 
to return and ask Esther Inman to come out for a minute 
or two as he wished to speak to her. Unhappily the poor 
girl complied with his request, and while conversing together 
lie plunged a dagger twice into her breast, causing her death 
instantly. The dagger was made of a piece of cast-steel, six 
inches in length and liaK an inch broad, fixed on a turned 
boiAvood handle. The blade was of one thickness through- 
out but filed to a sharp edge on each side and at the point. 
Maikin absconded, but was soon apprehended, and was com- 
mitted to York on a charge of wilful murder. He was tried 
before Mr. J3aron Piatt, on the 21st of December, and 
pleaded Not Guilty, in a firm tone of voice. Mr. Hall, Mr. 
Hill, and Mr. Wheelhouse appeared for the prosecution ; 
Mr. Overend and Mr. Johnstone def.jnded the prisoner. 
After a patient trial he v/as found Guilty, but was recom- 
mended to mercy on account of his extreme youth. He was 
then asked if he liad anything to say why sentence of death 
should not be passed upon him. When he replied, "My 
lord j udge, and gentlemen of the jury, I can truly say that 
I am perfectly innocent of this crime. It seems to be rather 
difficult for me to have nothing found upon me — no blood, 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 569 

1848.— Oct. 

nor auything of this kind. I can't really, I can't talk for 
myseK, but I am perfectly innocent of the crime. I never 
had thoughts of doing what I call 'my lover, Esther Inman.' 
any injury, never in my life, I alwaj's intended and strived 
to do the best I could for her, and I never thought any ill 
of her. I cannot say anything more, my lord judge." 
Sentence of death was then passed upon the prisoner, with- 
out any hope of mercy. On the following day he made a 
confession of his guiit to the Rev. Thomas Sutton, the 
prison chaplain, to the eifect that he was the cause of the 
death of his lover, and that he had contemplated the 
murder some time previously. He declared that he was 
actuated by a feeling which had he seen any other man talk- 
ing with her, would have induced him to murder them both, 
and then to take his ovni life. On the (3th of January, 1849, 
lie expiated his awful crime on the gallows. 

16tli. The Leeds Moral and Industrial Training School 
was formally opened this day. The first stone was laid on 
the 12th of October, 1846, by J. Metcalfe, Esq., chairman 
of the Leeds Board of Guardians in the presence of a large 
number of spectators. It is pleasantly situated at Bur- 
mantofts, occupying an eligible and elevated site of six 
acres in extent, including the play-ground and garden. It 
is built of brick, with stone facings, at a cost of £14,000. 
The principal front of the school buildings is 270 feet in 
extent, and the depth from front to rear, 178 feet. The 
style of architecture is the Elizabethan. The front presents 
a commanding appearance, the eight projecting portions 
being surrounded by octangular stone turrets with moulded 
canopies ; the -wings have bay windows from the ground to 
the roof, over which are high pointed gables, and in the 
centre front there are three large oriel windows. The in- 
terior is arranged for the classification of the inmates, the 
northern side being appropriated to the girls, and the south 
to the boys. Through the centre is a large pile of buildings, 
separating the boys and girls' playground, the western por- 
tion of which is appropriated to the infant's school room, 
day room, and dormitories ; the other portions being used 
as kitchens, dining rooms, chapel, ttc. In the rear build- 
ings, there are fever wards for both sexes. Between the 
rear and front buildings, there are covered colonnades, to 
enable the children to take out-door exercise in wet weather. 
In the extreme wings of the front buildings are the 
spacious day rooms, measuring 50 feet by 25 feet, and over 
these are school rooms of like dimensions. The centre of 



570 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YOUK, AND 

1848.— Oct. 
, the front buildings comprises the board room, ?vnd the head 
master's aparfcments, the teachers' dining room, entrance 
hall, and principal staircase ; and on the right and left of 
the centre of the ground floor, are the store room, ward- 
robes, and bath rooms, &c. , with a spacious corridor, ex- 
tending the whole length of the building at the back thereof. 
On the first and second floor there are eight dormitories 50 
feet by 25 each, and 14 feet high, adjoining to which are 
apartments for the teachers. The chapel and dining hall 
are each 45 feet by 30 feet ; the former has a handsome open 
timbered roof stained in imitation of oak ; the latter is 
about 14 feet in height. The admission to the school is 
vested absolutely in the Board of Guardians, and the in- 
mates generally consist of orphans or deserted children ; 
but there are also a few who are children of deserving resi- 
dent poor. They are received at an early age, and are 
immediately placed under the superintendence of the school- 
master or schoolmistress to be taught industrial work. 
The building^ has accommodation for about 400 children and 
youths, and has often from 230 to 300 inmates. The E-ev. 
R. C. Yfeston, is chaplain ; Mr. Woodhead is master, and 
Mrs. Woodhead, matron. Messrs. Perkin and Backhouse, 
of Leeds, were the architects. 

Nov. Fifty cases of fever were admitted into the Leeds 
House of Recovery during the month of November, being 
an increase of 56 per cent, on the previous months of the 
year, and the cases generally were of a very severe character. 

LEEDS MUNICIPAL ELECTION, 1st Novkmber, 1848. 
Those in brackets were elected. 

MiLL-HiLL,[E(]vvinBirchall,L;.Foseph Town, L] West, [John 

Han.-on, R, 253; William Avea-s, L, 22.^ ;J William Bland, L, 222. 

North- West, [William Dixon, L.j North, J. G. Heaps, 

It.]__NoR]H-EAST, [Tl.omas Hall, R.] East. [Edward Mor- 
gan, R.] IviRKGATB, [John Jack^'on, jun., L, i82;] John Gar- 
land, C, 16). South. [Samuel Cruft, L, 200;] Benjamin Barker, 

R, ]02. HuNSLKT, [Joseph Wilkinson, L, 360;] John Carr, R, 

30/. HoLBKCK, [.loseph Barker, R, f77 ; W. E. Hepper, L, 

534;] John Whiteheid, L, 49/; John Tempest, C, 408. Bram- 

LEV, [John Lister, C, 268 ; William Ellis, L, 246;] Saml. Clajton, 
L, 201"; — Bradshavv, L, 1. Headingley, [John Daniel, C] 

Nov. 9th John Hope Shaw, Esq., elected mayor. 

Sept North- East Ward, wet' Metealr*, decea.sed, [David Richard- 
son, C. 106;] Thos. Cordin^lej, R, 82 ; Jame.-< Baldwin, R. 24. 

Nov. 8th. Headin2:lej Ward, vice Hirst, left the town, [Robert 
White, C, 176;] Jarvis Brady, R, ys. 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 571 

1S48.— Nov. 

Nov. 15. Died, aged 55 years, George Lane Fox, Esq., 
of Brainham Park, in Yorkshire, 

28th. On the evening of this day, about eight o'clock, 
Staniield Hall, near Wymondham, was the scene of a most 
fearful murder. Mr. Jermey, the recorder of Norwich, and 
his son, were each shot dead by an assassin wrapped in a 
cloak and masked. The murderer also disharged a pistol at 
Mrs. Jeremy, the shot shivering one of her arms, and 
wounding her in the breast. He also shot the maid servant, 
named Elizabeth Chestney, severely wounding her in the 
leg. James Bloomtield Rush was apprehended a few hours 
afterwards on suspicion, aud was subsequently committed on 
a charge of wilful murder. He was tried at Norwich, in 
April following, the trial occuping six days, and the prisoner 
conducting his OAvn defence. On the 4th of April, 1 849, he 
was found guilty, and sentenced to death, and was executed 
on the 21st of the same month in the presence of 20,000 
spectators, protesting his innocence to the last. 

Dec. 4th. The celebrated Jenny Lind gave a concert at the 
Music-hall, Leeds. The sum taken for tic1i:ets was £700, 
and would have been larger but for want of room. 

11th. Louis Napoleon was elected president of the French 
Republic by an overwhelming majority. His competitors 
were General Cavaignac, Ledru Rollin, Raspail, and Lam- 
, artine. 

West-Riding Election. — 11th. In consequence of the 
elevation of Lord Morpeth to the house of Lords, on the 
demise of his father, a vacancy occurred in the West-Riding. 
On November 21st, the Hon. C. W. W. Fitzwilliam, 
youngest son of Earl Fitzwilliam, of Y/entworth House, 
attended at the Leeds Cloth-hall to address the electors, and 
met ^vith a very unfavourable reception. He was introduced 
to the meeting by James Brown, Esq., of Hiirehills Lodge, 
after which he made a short speech, and was questioned by 
Francis Carbutt, Joseph Barker, Joseph Richardson, and 
others. John Arthur Roebuck who was present on the 
platform, made a speech on the West-Riding election. Mr. 
Fitzwilliam afterwards withdrew. The 11th of December 
was the nomination day at Wakefield. James Hamerton, 
Esq., of Hellifield Peel, proposed, and Francis Carbutt, 
Esq., of Leeds, seconded Sir Culling Eardley. The Hon. 
Ed\^in Lascelles, M.P., proposed, and John Rand, Esq., of 
Bradford, seconded Edmund Denison, Esq. , of Doncaster. 
Mr. Isaac Ironsides, of Shefheld, proposed, and Mr. Rich- 
ard Brook, of Huddersfield, seconded Mr. Samuel Kydd, 



572 ANJfALS OP LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1848.— Dec. 

of London. Sir Culling Eardley had the show of hands^ 
and a poll was demanded on behalf of Mr, Denison. Sir 
Culling Eardley, owing to illness could not be present at the 
nomination, and was represented by John Bright, Esq., 
M. P. The polling took place on the 14th and 15th of De- 
cember. The result was for :— 

Mr. Denison, (C.) 14,743. 

Sir CuUing Eardley, (L.) 11,795. 



Majority for Mr. Denison 2,948. 

Leeds polled for Mr. Denison 1,354 votes, and for Sir 

C. Eardley, 1,080. 19th. The annual soiree of the 

Leeds Mechanics' Institution and Literary Society, was 
celebrated in the Music-hall, Albion-street. The Rev. Dr. 
Erskine, Dean of Ripon, presided, and addresses were de- 
livered by John Hope Shaw, Esq. , mayor. , WilUam Beckett, 
Esq. M. P., Edward Baines, Esq., J. G. Marshall, Esq. M.P., 
the Rev. Wfti. Sinclair, Edmund Denison, Esq., M.P., 
and others. 

22nd. The Lord Chancellor issued a new commission of 
the peace for the borough of Leeds, dated December 22nd, 
consisting of : — 

Sir Thomas Beckett, Thomas Benyon, William Williams Bro\»rn, 
Thomas William I'ottie, Hamer StHnsfeld, John Clapham, Edward 
Grace, George Goodman, James Holdforth, William Pawson, D.ivid 
William Nell, Thomas Hebden, Darnton Lupton, William Smith, 
Jo.seph Robert Atkinson, Richard Bramlej, Henry Hall, Ralph 
Markland, Henry Co'.vper Marshall, John Darnton Luccock, Charles 
Gascoigne Maclea, Francis Carbutt, John Hope Shaw, William Hey, 
John Heaton, John Burton, John Cooper, Juseph Cliff, and Joha 
Wilkinson. 

The Leeds and West-Riding Trade Protection Society was 
established in 1848. The objects of the society being to 
guard its members against attempts at fraud ; to obtain in- 
formation as to the character, (fee. ; of persons at a distance 
desirous of obtaining goods from members ; to collect debts, 
doubtful, or difficult to obtain, at a moderate commission ; 
to f urnisii weekly lists of Preferential Securities, including 
Warrants of Attorney, Cognovits, &c. Mr. M. Johnson is 
Secretary. Offices, 8, Park-row. 

1849. January. As some workmen were employed in 
draining the land on "Addle Mill Farm," near Leeds, 
belonging to Edwin Eddison, Esq., they discovered a 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 573 

1849— Jan. 

very perfect Roman, or Saxon coffin, hewn out of 
stone, about seven feet long, two feet wide, and two 
feet deej), one of the ends being a little A\T.der than the 
other. The upper side of the coffin lid was scarcely two feet 
under the surface of the ground. Nothing was inside the 
coffin except a small quantity of dark lookLug mould. 

Jan. 1st. Matt iiew Talbot Baines, Esq., was appointed presi- 
dent of the Poor-law Board. Ith, Died, aged 46, at 

liis residence in Park-square, Leeds, John Hepwortli Hill, 
Esq. , barrister-at-law. He was educated at Trinity College, 
Cambridge, where he distinguished himself in his class, and 
obtained the honour of a senior optime in 1824. He was 
called to the bar in the year 1827, after which he practised 
on the northern circuit. At the time of his death he was 
Hecorder of Pontefract, Judge of the Sheriff's court, under 
the title of SberiiTs assessor ; one of the patrons of the 
Leeds parish church, and a governor of the Leeds Free 
Grammar school. The late Robert Hall said of him that 
*' he was one of the kindest, truest, and most upright of 
men : not so quick as some, not so impassioned as others ; 
in his profession he was a safe, untiring, and successful 
counsellor, ever equal to occasions as they arose ; whilst in 
his general character there shone forth all the sterling quali- 
ties that make up a man, their lustre unblemished by one 

single meanness." At this time the discovery of gold 

in California, caused vast numbers of people in the United 
States of America, and in England, to emigrate to the la,nd 

of gold. 18th. In the Ecclesiastical court at York, 

judgment was given against the Rev. Richard Hale, vicar 
of Harewood, for an ailedged " irreverent and unseemly con- 
duct in the pulpit, and also for qua^rreling, chiding, and 
brawling by words, during such times (1847) in the parish 
church of Harewood." The sentence of the court was : — • 
That the Rev. defendant be suspended from his ministry for 
six months ; that he be condemned in the costs of the suit, 
and that he be admonished to refrain for the future from 

practices alleged against him. On Saturday the 27th of 

January, a fine boy four years old, the son of Mr. Halle- 
well, farmer, near Hawoith, wandered on the moors, and 
got lost, and although hundreds of people traversed the 
moors in search of him on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, 
he could not be found. The poor child was found on Wed- 
nesday morning, a corpse, having wandered three miles from 
home, on the dreary hea,th. 

About eleven o'clock in the forenoon of the 24th of Jan- 



574 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1849.— Jan. 

nary, a terrific explosion took place at the Darley Main 
colliery, Worsbro' Dale, about two miles south of Barnsley, 
and near the turnpike road leading from that town to Shef- 
field. There were more than one hundred men and boys in 
the pit at the time of the said occurrence. Thirty one- 
married men, and forty four unmarried men and boys, 
making a total of seventy five, lost their lives. By this 
melancholy accident thirty one widows and fifty five children 
were left in a state of great distress. A relief fund was 
raised for the suffering survivors, and the widows and 
orphans and families of those who were dead. 

Feb. 20th. The first soiree of the Skipton Mechanics' Insti- 
tution was celebrated in the castle. Henry Alcock, Esq. , 
presided. 

March. In this month, at the Music-hall, Leeds, two- 
men and two women, natives of Southern Africa, of the 
Hottentot tribe, and styled Bosjesmen, or Bushmen, were 
exhibited and caused a great deal of attraction. 

20th. Charles Albert, King of Sardinia, crossed the 
Ticino on his march to subdue Lombardy. Six days 
afterwards he abdicated, and made a sudden flight towards 

France, 29th, Died, at Madeira, John Lofthouse, 

Esq. , of the firm of Barr, Lofthouse, and Nelson, solicitors, 
Leeds. He was extensively known, and very highly re- 



23rd. The last arch of the Aire viaduct of the Leeds and. 
Thirsk Railway was completed this day ; the first stone 
was laid on the 31st of May, 1847. The entire length is 
1367 feet, and its height from the foundation in the river to 
the top of the coping 76 feet. There are 22 arches, each of 
48 feet span, and one crossing the Leeds and Liverpool 
canal of a beautiful elliptic form of 41 feet span. 

Election of Guardians of the Poor for the township of 
Leeds, April : — 

Kast, Geo. Lumb. Kirkgatk, Joseph Hall, William Long. 

MiLL-HiLi, 'I'homas Dawkins, Thoma.s KatriaiKl, John Patrick. 

North, Richard Stead, Thomas Headland. North- East^. 

John Morfitt, Simu^-l Brown Hargreive. --Norih West, John 

Howard, W^illiam Whitfield. South, Thomas Powell, Thomas 

Harrison. Wksf, Thomas Newsam, Willi im Walker, Peter Law 

Atkinson. John Morfitt, Esq., was elected chairman. 

April 8th. A large amount of property was destroyed at 
Cowling, near Keighley, by the bursting of a reservoir 
which supplied with water the small cotton mill, worked by- 
Messrs. Watson, in Ickomshaw. 11th. A West Riding 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 575 

1849.— April. 

iDanquet was given to Richard Cobden, Esq., M.P,, in the 
hall of the Wakefield Corn Exchange. George Goodman, 

Esq., of Leeds, presided. 12th. A financial reform 

meeting took place at the Music-hall, Leeds. J. G. Mar- 
shall, Esq., presided, and the meeting was addressed by 

Richard Cobden, Esq., M.P., and others. 14th. The 

navies engaged on the Huddersfield and Manchester railway, 
At Marsden and Milnes bridge, near Huddersfield, broke 
out in riot, owing to some dispute about their wages. Several 
of the ringleaders were committed to York for trial, on 
charges of riot and conspiracy, and suffered imprisonment. 

25th, At the Leeds Court-house, Messrs. Hay, and Sharp, 
tobacco manufacturers, of Mill-hill, were charged with, and 
found guilty of adulterating tobacco. They were fined £300 
with the forfeiture of 2501bs of tobacco. 

May 21st. Sa:\iuel Gibsox, a distinguished member of the 
Manchester Botanists Society, born at Sowerby bridge, York- 
shire, his father being a whitesmith ; died May 21st, 1849, 
at M}iiholmroyd, near Hebden bridge ; only went for a 
short time to a Sunday-school ; was apprenticed to his 
father ; was a very ingenious mechanic, and an expert and 
elegant turner ; worked as a spindle and fly-maker at Heb- 
den bridge ; began to employ his leisure in the study of 
botany (1818) ; opened a whitesmith's shop on his own ac- 
count (1820) ; and followed the business for the remainder of 
his life. His contributions to the " Phytologist, " and other 
publications, bear ample testimony to his industry, and to 
his devotion to science. At his death he left a valuable 
Herbarium, containing a collection of the flowering plants, 
ferns, and their allies, of Great Britain, complete to within 
twenty specimens ; extensive collections of mosses, lichens, 
jungerm anniae and marine algae ; about 1,000 specim^s of 
British and other seeds, and seed vessels, ingeniously and 
neatly mounted between thin plates of glass ; about 140 
specimens of British woods and plants, prepared and mount- 
ed for the microscope. In 1826 he commenced the study of 
entomology, and collected a very valuable series of British 
insects, arranged in thirty four boxes. In Conchology he 
made valuable and extensive collections of British, marine, 
fresh- water, and land shells, as well as a considerable assort- 
ment of foreign specimens. In Geology he collected and 
arranged a cabinet of the fossil shells of mountain limestone, 
shale and coal measures, which was considered unique. 
Situate in a country village, remote from books and men of 
science, and destined to earn his bread by a laborious em- 



576 Am^ALS OF LEEDS, YORK AND 

1849.— May. 

ployment, this intelligent and excellent man, by his energies 
and industry, overcame all the difficulties that beset him, 
and accomplished very much in the way of collecting new 
objects in almost every department of local natural history. 
His example gave an impulse to the study of nature in the 
surrounding districts. He suffered a long illness prior to 
his death, and his means became circumscribed ; but he 
found a resource in his collections, a good part of which he 
sold in order to obtain the means o^ subsistence. The rest 
he left to his widow and children. 

A portrait of Samuel Sebastian Wesley, Mus. Doc, 
Oxon, was presented to him by a few gentlemen connected 
with the Leeds parish church choir, as a mark of their 
friendship and high appreciation of his musical genius. 

June. Cholera. — During the year 1848, the cholera raged 
with great severity iu Russia and Germany. In September 
of that year three fatal cases occurred on board a vessel at 
Hull, and two others on a vessel at Sunderland. In Decem- 
ber, several fatal cases occurred at Castleford. In June, 
1849, the epidemic broke out in a many parts of England, 
as well as with much greater severity in Russia, France, 
Holland, and Ireland. In 1848-9, in London, in fifteen 
months, the disease was fatal to 18,431 persons. Some idea 
of its ravages in England may be gathered from the fact 
that the total deaths from cholera reported to the General 
Board of Health during 1849, amounted to 72,180. For a 
single week ended 1st September, there were in England and 
Wales 3,128 fatal cases. The first case in Leeds occurred 
on the 12th of June, in the family of an Irishman, named 
McCarthey, in Wheeler-street, Bank. The next case was 
that i)f Jonas Brook, Market-street, who died on the 14th 
of June. The disease then spread rapidly until September, 
when it began to diminish. It entirely disappeared about the 
middle of October. The total deaths from cholera and diarrhea 
in the tovmship of Leeds during the four months amounted 
to 1,674 ; the proportion of cases of cholera to diarrhea, 
being about five to one. The disease was most prevalent in 
Marsh-lane, York-street, Quarry-hill, ;N"eT\i;own, Leylands, 
and New-road-end. It was singularly fatal to a family of 
the name of Craven, in Cavalier-street, no less than eight 
deaths having occurred in that family alone. In the borough 
of Leeds, the total deaths considerably exceeded 2,000. In 
the township of Hunslet alone, in sixteen weeks ended 10th 
of October, there were 432 fatal cases. It broke out first at 
Hunslet-carr, and in less than a week there vrere 28 deaths. 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 577 

1849.— June. 

Mr. J. Wilkinson, flax-spinner, of Hiinslet, fell a victim 
to the disease. At Beeston, out of 48 cases, 17 proved 
fatal. It may be mentioned here that Captain "Waterton's 
cholera powder proved very useful in the first stages of the 
disease, and his house "was Kterally besieged by parties 
anxious to possess it. During the chojera in Leeds, the 
follovring articles were destroyed by order of the town's sur- 
geons, namely, 868 flock beds, 258 flock pillows, 12 pillow 
cases, 15 bed-ticks, 375 coverlets, 546 blankets, and 282 
cotton sheets ; they were replaced out of the poor rates. 
The malady raged mth great violence at Wakefield. In the 
lunatic asylum there, from the 4th to the 19th of October, 
out of a total of 500 inmates, 40 cases proved fatal. A 
curious fact is mentioned in the report to the Registrar 
General on the mortality of cholera in England and Wales, 
namely, that the cholera every^vhere prevailed more on 
certain days of the week and less on others. ' ' On Satur- 
days, jMondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, the deaths 
from cholera were above, and on Thursdays, Fridays, and 
Sundays below the average. In the whole country, Tuesday 
was the most, Friday the least fatal day of the week. The 
disparity of the deaths was greatest in London, where 2,194 
persons died on Mondays, 2,136 on Tuesdays, and only 1,927 
on Thursdays, and 1,824 on Fridays. The weekly wages 
there are generally paid on Saturdays, and the Mondays in 
London and other large cities, are the days on which a cer- 
tain proportion of the population indulge in intoxicating 
drinks. The Fridays are days of comparative abstinence." 
July 2nd. Died, at the rectory, Kemerton, the resi- 
dence of his son, Robert Disney Thorp, M.D., late of 
Leeds, in the 83rd year of his age. Dr. Thorp was for a 
many years one of the leading medical men of the 'town, 
and was for a long time one of the physicians of the Leeds 

General Infirmary. 9th. The Leeds and Thirsk railway 

was opened this day. 11th. Died, Mr Justice Coltman, 

aged 68, of Cholera, at his house in Hyde Park gardens, 

London. 30th. A public meeting convened by the mayor 

was held at the Court-house, Leeds, to sympathise with the 
Hungarian nation against the encroachments of Austrian 
despotism. Meetings were held at Wakefield, Bradford, and 

other places, for the same object. At the end of July 

and in the early part of August, the Yorkshire Agi-icultural 
Society held its annual meeting at Leeds, for the exhibition 
of stock, implements, cl:c. The exhibition was held in a 
large piece of ground formerly used as allotment gardens, 

49 



578 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1849.— July. 

situate between the river Aire and Wellington-street, and 
adjoining G-ott's factory. The great dinner of the society 
was held in the Stock Exchange, Leeds. The Earl of Car- 
lisle presided, and the Earl of Harewood acted as vice-chair- 
man. On the 31st of July and the 1st of August, took 

place, at the Infirmary gardens, Leeds, a grand horticultural 
and floral exhibition. 

Aug. 3rd. The Rev. John Burdsell and the Rev. James 
Everett, both of York, were expelled the Wesleyan confer- 
ence, on a charge of being concerned in the authorship of 
the Fly Sheets, an anonymous publication, which contained 
remarks upon the proceedings of the conference. These 
expulsions were followed by that of Messrs. Griffith, Dimn, 
and others, which led to a serious schism in the Methodist 
society, and which, in fact, resulted in the formation of 
"The Reform Methodists," who have since amalgamated 

v\^ith the Wesleyan Association. Aug. 16th. A new 

decimal coin, called "a florin," one-tenth of a £, was issued 
from the Mint. This issue was soon after countermanded 
owing to an omission of the words Dei Gratia and Fidei 
Defensor, and a re-issue made of the present florin. 

18th. Mr. Wm. Beckwith, secretary and collector to the 
Leeds Infirmary, was brought before the Leeds magistrates, 
and committed on a charge of embezzlement of £1,020 7s. 
of the funds of the charity, and was on the 29th of October 
transported for seven years. 

Sept. During this month the workmen employed in quar- 
rying at Keniton, in Somerset, discovered the remains of 
two very fine Saurian reptiles, embedded in the lias, one a 
specimen of Plesiosaurus macrocephalus, nine feet in 
length ; the other Ichthyosaurus communis, measuring six 
feet in length. The former was purchased and presented to 
the Leeds Philosophical and Literary Society by J. Gr. 
Marshall, Esq. , and the latter by Wm. WiUiams Brown, 

Esq. 20th. The Fallowfield-terrace estate, belonging to 

Mr. Masser, lithographer, consisting of seven dwelling- 
liouses, near Carr-place, Leeds, was raflled for at the Music- 
hall, this day. It v/as disposed of in 4,800 shares of a guinea 
each, and the estimated rental of the whole estate was £230 
per annum. Mr. Thomas Bailey, bunting maker, Holbeck, 
Yfas the winner of the estate. Mr. Titterington, librarian, 
Holbeck, drew the second prize of £150. Mr. Masser was 
afterwards prosecuted by the crown, for holding the illegal 
lottery, and adjudged to be imprisoned and kept to hard 
labour in the borough house of correction for the space of 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 579 

1S49.— Sept. 

seven days. Burley, near Leeds, was constituted a 

separate district for spiritual purposes, uuder Sir Robert 
Peel's act. On the oUtli of September, tlie Rev. Thomas 
-Sturgeon, M. A. , curate of St. George's, Leeds, was nominated 
the minister of the new district. It was endowed with £150 
a year, by the trustees of the late Mrs. Matthewman, who 
l>equeathed a certain fund for promoting divine worship 
according to the liturgy and usages of the United Church 
of England and Ireland. 

29th. The foundation stone of St. Thomas's church, North- 
street, Leylands, Leeds, was laid by Dr. Hook. This hand- 
some edifice is built of brick, with stone facings in the 
decorated style, and forms an object of beauty. It was 
erected at the sole cost of M. J. Rhodes, Esq., gentleman. 
It is Tvorthy of being noticed, that the munificent donor 
had previously accumulated considerable wealth on the very 
site on which the church now stands. It cost £7,000. Con- 
nected theremth is a school, built of brick, with stone 
facings, raised from subscriptions and grant of the Com- 
mittee of Council of Education. The perpetual curacy is 
in the gift of the vicar. Incumbent, Rev. A. Bolland, M. A. 

Oct. 6th. Mean wood church was consecrated by the Bishop 

of Ripon. On Sunday morning, the 7th of October, about 

eleven o'clock, the dead body of a man named James Dufton, 
Jate an inmate of Hunslet Workhouse, was found lying in a 
burning flint kiln at the Leeds Pottery, occupied by Messrs. 
Warburton and Co. The head of the deceased was com- 
pletely burnt off, his skull reduced to a cinder, and his right 
arm burnt to the socket. His body, on the right side, was 
also much injured by the fire ; and had a little longer time 
elapsed before the discovery was made, it is probable that 
very little of the poor fellow would have been unconsumed 
except the legs, which were the only members not in imme- 
diate contact with the burning flint. It is supposed that 
he had gone to the kiln on the previous Saturday night, 
fallen asleep upon it, and in this situation, suffocated witli 
the smoke, the door of the kiln, being closed. 

Nov. 1st. The foundation stone of the new Baptist chapel, 
near St. George's church, was laid by Geo. Goodman, Esq. 
This sacred edifice spraug out of some trivial division which 
originated in the South-parade place of worship. It is an 
imposing building of stone, in the early decorated style of 
architecture. The opening ceremony took i^lace on the 15th 
of Jan., 1851 ; on which occasion the Hon. and Rev. Baj^tist 
Noel preached. It will seat 600 persons. The cost amounted 
to £2,800. The Rev. Dr. Brewer is minister. 



580 ANXALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

3849.— Nov. 

LEEDS MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS, 1st November, 1849. 
Those in brackets were elected. 

Mill-Hill, [John Moorhouse, L, A. Titley, L.] West, [Wm.. 

Bland, L, Robt. Foster Wray, R.] North West, [G. Johnstone 

Crowther, L.] North, [W. Mawson, L.J North East, [Jas. 

Dufton, L, 228 ;] W. Hartley, E, 44 East, [J. Wainman, L.J 

KiRKGATE, [.lohn Garland, C, 181 ;J William Kettlewell, L, 179. 

South, [John Broadhead, L.] Hunslet, [E Blackburn, L.j 

HoLBECK, [Benjamin Barker, R, 649; John Whitehead, L, 597;] 

Samuel Stead, L, 51a ; Richard Atkinson, C, 445. Bramley, 

[Joseph Barker, L, 328 ; George Waring, R, 188 ;] Joseph Oddy, C, 
158. Hkadtnglry, [Robert White, C J 

Nov. 9th. Joseph Bateson elected mayor. 

February 4 th. Headingley, vice Martin, deceased, [George Skirrow 
Beecroft, C, ys ;J James Kitson, L, 19. 

Nov. 2. The annual soiree of the Leeds Mechanics' Insti- 
tution was held at the Music-hall. Lord Viscount Mahon. ' 
presided, and the meeting was addressed by the Dean of 
E/ipon, J. A. Roebuck, Esq., R. M. Milnes, Esq., and 

others. 15th. Her Majesty appointed this day to be 

kept as a day of general praise and thanksgiving to Almighty 
God, for having mercifully abated the grievous disease 
(cholera) with which the kingdom had been so lately visited. 

Dec. 1st. Died, at his villa, Argilt-hill, near Barnsley, 
Ebenezer Elliott, the " Corn Law Rhymer." He was born 
on the 17th of March, 1781, at the New Foundry, Masbro', 
in the parish of Rotherham. His father, a fanatic in reli- 
gion and politics, but a brave strong-minded man, was for 
several years a clerk in an iron foundry at Masbro', ultim- 
ately commenced business as a master ironfounder, but his 
affairs going ^vrong, he died in poverty. Ebenezer was j&rst 
sent to a dame's school, and then to the Hollis school, where 
he showed no aptitude for knowledge or culture, was guilty 
of playing truant, and once got into a scrape by stealing 
duck-eggs in mistake for the eggs of wild birds. ' Sowerby's 
English Botany ' first developed his poetical tendencies, the 
coloured plates of which he learned to copy, and ' ' was lifted 
at once above the inmates of the alehouse at least a foot in 
mental stature." ''Never," he says, "shall I forget the 
impression made upon me by the beautiful plates. I actually 
touched the figure of the primrose, half convinced that the 
mealiness on the leaves was real. " He became passionately 
fond of flowers — of all passions the most elegant and inno- 
cent. They glow in every page of his works, and perfume 
the very book : — 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 581 

1849.— Dec. 

' ' Flowers, ye remind me of rock, vale, and wood, 

Haunts of my early days, and still loved well : 
your hues, your breath, 

Call up the dead to combat still with death : 

The spii'its of my buried years arise ! 

Again a child, where childhood roved I run ; 

While groups of speedwell, with their bright blue eyes, 

Like happy children cluster in the sun. 

Still the wan primrose hath a golden core ; 

The miUfoil, thousand-leafed as heretofore, 

Displays a little world of flow'rets gray ; 

And tiny maids might hither come to cull 

The wo-marked cowslip of the dewy May, etc." 
'Thomson's Seasons' gave him the first hint of the eternal 
alliance between poetry and nature. Milton and Shakes- 
peare also contributed to his education. From his sixteenth 
to his twenty-third year he worked for his father as laboriously 
as any servant he had, and without wages, except a shil- 
ling or two for pocket money. His first start in business as 
an iron-master at Sheffield was a failure. He made a second 
start in 1821, being then 40 years of age. He commenced 
with a borrowed capital of £150, and by strict attention to 
business ultimately realised a fortune. He could sit in his 
chair and make his £20 a day without even seeing the goods 
he dealt in, which were sold from the wharf as they arrived. 
Mr. Howdtt describes his warehouse as a dingy place, full of 
bars of iron of all sizes, standing in heaps everywhere around, 
so that there was only just room for passage — and in the 
midst a large cast of Shakespeare. Another writer from 
America describes a visit he paid to the poet, whom he found 
at his house near his place of business. "The Corn Law 
Rhymer stood on the threshold in his stocking feet, holding 
a pair of coarse shoes in his hand. His frank ' ' walk in, " 
assured me I was welcome. I was confronted with a burly 
ironmonger, rapid in speech, glowing with enthusiasm, 
putting and answering a dozen questions in a breath ; eulog- 
ising American republicanism, throwing sarcasms at the 
Duke of Wellington, and anointing General Jackson with 
the oil of flattery ; pouring out a flood of racy talk 
about church establishments, poetiy, politics, the price 
of iron, and the price of corn ; while ever and anon he 
thrust his damp feet into the emljers, and hung his shoes on 
the grate to dry." The great panic and revulsion of 1837 
swept away a considerable portion of his little fortune. He 
says ^* I lost fully one third of all my savirc;s, and after 



582 AN>fALS OF LEEDS, YORK AND 

1849.— Dec. 

enabling my six boys to quit the nest, got out of tbe fracas 
with about £6,000, which I will try to keep." He retired 
from business and from active interference in politics, and 
left Sheffield in 1841, to spend the rest of his days at Great 
Houghton, near Barnsley, where he had built himself a 
house. ' My family here consists of Mrs. Elliott, my two 
daughters, a servant maid, and a man who works for me 
occasionally : rid the corn laws, and I shall not be without 
dim visions of a flunkey. My establishment is illustrious 
for a St. Bernard dog, and a Welsh pony, the observed of 
all observers, which, in its green old age of twenty years, 
draws a small gig, both untaxed. I also run my only Shef- 
field carriage, the wheelbarrow, besides a pony cart, and I 
have set up a grindstone. Conceive of me, then, possessed 
of a mare, gig, and harness, which, with repairs cost £8 10s ; 
a dog almost as big as the mare, and much wiser than his 
master ; a pony cart ; a wheelbarrow ; and a grindstone, and 
turn up your nose if you like ! " In one of his poems he 
draws a beautiful picture of a family group, and domestic 
happiness, once his own : — 

" Blessed is the hearth when daughters gird the fire. 

And sons that shall be happier than their sire, 

Who sees them crowd around his evening chair. 

While love and hope inspire his wordless prayer. 

O from their home paternal may they go, 

With little to unlearn, though much to know ! 

Them, may no poisoned tongue, no evil eye, 

Curse for the virtues that refuse to die ; 

The generous heart, the independent mind, 

Till truth, like falsehood, leaves a sting behind ! 

May Temperance crown their feast, and Friendship share ! 

May pity come. Love's sister spirit, there ! 

May they shun baseness, as they shun the grave ! 

May they be frugal, pious, humble, brave ! 

Sweet peace be theirs — the moonlight of the breast— 

And occupation, and alternate rest ; 

And dear to care and thought the rural walk ; 

Theirs' be no flower that withers on the stalk. 

But roses cropped, that shall not bloom in vain ; 

And Hope's blessed sun, that sets to rise again. 

Be chaste their nuptial bed, their home be sweet. 

Their floor resound the tread of little feet ; 

Blessed beyond fear and fate, if blessed by thee, 

And heirs, O Love ! of thine Eternity. " 



THE SUKROUXDIXG DISTRICT. 583 

] 849.— Dec. 

During all the time he was in business, and in his retire- 
ment, he found solace in composition. His published works, 
are : — 1. Corn Law Rhymes, 2. Love, a poem, 3. The Vil- 
lage Patriarch, a poem, 4. Poetical Works, 5. More Verse 
and Prose by the Corn Law Phymer, in two volumes. 
The late venerable poet Montgomery states that in 
originality, power, and even beauty, when he chose 
to be beautiful, — he might have measured heads be- 
side Byron in tremendous energy ; Crabbe in graphic 
description, and Coleridge in effusions of domestic ten- 
derness ; while in intense sympathy with the poor, in 
whatsoever he deemed their wrongs or their sufferings, he 
excelled them all. — and perhaps everybody else among con- 
temporaries, in prose and verse. " For several months prior 
to his death, his life was one of great suffering, and equal 
fortitude. His beloved daughter Fanny was married a short 
time before his death. On the wedding day he was support- 
ed from his bed to the window, to see the return of the party 
from church. The fatigue was almost more than he could 
bear. ' My child,' he said to Fanny, ' I feel so weak that 
an infant could fell me with a primrose. ' Hearing a robin 
sing beneath his chamber window, he had just strength to 
dictate what proved to be his last notes : — 

'' Thy notes, sweet Robin, soft as dew, 
Heard soon or late, are dear to me ; 
To music I could bid adieu, 
But not to thee. 
Wlien from my eyes this lifef ul throng- 
Has pass'd away, no more to be ; 
Then Autumn's primrose, Robin's song, 
Return to me. 

Thus in strains of gentle music did the spirit of the poet 
pass away into eternity. He was buried in great privacy, 
as he wished to be, in the churchyard of the beautiful little 
village of Darfield. The consanguinity between the poet 
and the man is sho-RTi in the subjoined epitaph written by 
himself : — 

Stop, Mortal ! Here thy brother lies, 

The Poet of the Poor. 
His books were rivers, woods, and skies, 

The meadow and the moor ; 
His teachers were the torn hearts' wail, 

The tyrant, and the slave. 

The street, the factorj^, the jail, 

The palace — and the grave ! 



684 ANifALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1850— Jan. 

The meanest thing, earth's feeblest worm, 

He feared to scorn or hate ; 
And honoured in a peasant's form 

The equal of the great. 
But if he loved the rich who make 

The poor man's little more, 
111 could he praise the rich who take 

From plundered labour's store. 
A hand to do, a head to plan, 
A heart to feel and dare — 
Tell man's worst foes, here lies the man 
Who drew them as they are. 
1850. Jan 2nd. The Rev. T. Scales, minister of Queen-street 
chapel, Leeds, having resigned his pastorship in consequence 
of declining health, the members of the church and congre- 
gation presented him with a purse of one hundred sovereigns, 
accompanied by a testimonial, expressive of their gratitude 
for his past services, and the deep interest felt in his future 
welfare. Mr. Scales had been minister thirty years, and 
commenced first in the old white chapel. 

5th. Batley, near Dewsbury, was for three days, com- 
mencing this day, the scene of a great deal of excitement 
caused by a poll of the ratepayers, " As to whether Batley 
should or should not be lighted with gas." The result of 
the poll for ayes was 590 ; noes, 506 ; majority 84 in favour 

of gas. 9th. The congregation of St. George's church, 

Leeds, and the teachers of the school, presented to the Rev. 
T. Sturgeon, on his removal to his new charge at Burley, 
a testimonial of respect, consisting of a pocket silver com- 
munion service, presented by the teachers of the school, and 
a silver tea service and £200 by the congregation. 

11th. The "Lion Queen," Ellen Bright, was killed by a 
tiger in Wombwell's menagerie at Chatham. 

29th. The Humber, the Trent, and the Ouse were visited 
by a tide of extraordinary height. There were 29 feet 8 
inches of water at the Humber dock gates. Many parts of 
Hull were deeply flooded. At Goole, the banks of the Ouse 
gave way in two places, and hundreds of acres within five or 
six miles of that port were speedily laid under water. Boats 
were floated into the fields, and were used for the rescue of 
swine and other live stock. The G-oole and Boothferry 
road was one foot under water, and the ferry having become 
impassible, parties from Howden for Goole, who wished to 
cross the Ouse, had to go up to Sandhall. On the Trent at 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 585 

1850.— Jan. 

Flixbro' Statlier, the fields were under water as far as the 
eye coiild see from the steamers, which came down to 
Hull from Gainsbro'. The Medway and the Thames were 
also much swollen, the water overflowed the banks, and in- 
undated a large space of country, doing immense damage. 

Feb. 5th. Leeds was visited this evening by a most 
terrific storm of wind and rain. One of the pinnacles of 
St. Ann's Roman Catholic church was blown off, the stones 
of which it consisted falling upon and through the roof into 
the church. A new building, fourteen yards long and three 
stories high, just erected above the boiler houses on the premi- 
ses of Messrs. J. Wilkinson and Co., flax spinners, atHunslet, 
was also bloAvn doAvn. In other parts of Yorkshire, the 
storm raged with great violence, doing considerable damage. 

8th. Joseph Bateson, Esq., mayor of Leeds, gave a very 
brilliant party and ball, at the Assembly-rooms, Crown- 
street. On the same day took place the ceremonial of 

opening the organ at St. George's church, Leeds. The 
instrument was built by Messrs. Holt. It was designed by 
ISlr. R. S. Burton, late organist at St. George's, who super- 
intended its erection. Dr. S. S. Wesley presided at the 

opening. 28th. The old custom of putting out the 

lights amongst the weavers, was celebrated by the work- 
people of Messrs. Ellis, manufacturers, Arm ley, at the 
Geldard Arms inn. 

March 4th. An explosion and a fixe occurred at the Naptha 
manufactory of Mr. James Bapty, New Wortley, near 
Leeds, by which a Mr. Brook, lost his life, and other per- 
sons were injured. 5th. That magnificent structure, 

the Britannia Tubular Bridge, across the Menia Straits was 

opened this day. 6th. A society to provide judicious 

and charitable inquiry into the circumstances of mendicants, 
in order to aid the beneficent distribution of private benevo- 
lence in the relief of the deserving poor, called the ' ' Charit- 
able Inquiry Office," originated this day by a number of 
influential gentlemen of Leeds, in the Philosophical-hall. 

At this time the small pox was prevalent in almost all 
parts of Leeds ; no doubt caused by the great neglect of 
vaccination, during and since the prevalence of the cholera. 

On the 7th of March, a slip of paper was found in a. 
crevice of an old stone quarry, at Armley, belonging to the 
family of the late Benjamin Gott, Esq., from which no stone 
had been taken for twenty or thirty years. It contained the 
following memorandum, the signature being ^vritten with 
blood : — 



586 Aira-ALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1850.— March. 

Rambling is a pleasure 

Beauty will decay, 

Life will not last for ever 

So I'll go my way. 

The first opportunity will the above be put into execution. 
"Witness my hand, this 16th day of September, 1833, in my 
oyni blood. ' • Abhaham Hutchiis^son. " 

The writer it is said was the son of Mr. John Hutchinson, 
cloth manufacturer, Armley, he had led a rambling life, 
and was at this time (1850) at Bermuda, in the West Indies. 

A goose belonging to Mr. John Hannal, of Clough mills, 
Huddersfield, weighing 151bs, and being eleven months old, 
laid a egg which measured round the long way 12-| inches, 
and round the largest circular part 9j inches. 

16th. John Jessop, a blacksmith at Clayton, near Brad- 
ford, aged 24, attempted to murder his wife by firing a pistol 
at her. He then blew his own brains out with another pistol, 
and fell dead on the floor. The wife who was wounded in the 

left breast, sur\ived the shot. 19th, A public meeting 

of bankers, merchants, manufacturers, and other inhabit- 
ants of Leeds, was held in the Court-house, for the purpose 
of promoting the success of the great exhibition of the in- 
dustry of all nations in 1851. 25th. A horse belonging 

to Mrs. Ball, Marsh-lane, Leeds, died, after being ill for a 
day or two, and on a post mortem examination of the animal 
by Mr. Carter, smith and farrier, two round stones were 
found in its stomach. The largest weighed 4|lbs, and the 
other more than 12ozs, They were quite smooth, and there 
is no doubt they were the cause of the animals illness and 
death. They were presented to the Philosophical and Liter- 
ary society, by Mr. Jowett. 

Gruardians of the Poor of the township of Leeds, elected 
AprH 5th, 1850 :— 

Kast, Geo. Lumb, John Kighley Clapham. Kirkgate, Wm. 

Long, Seth Joy Mill-Hill, Thos. Dawkins, Thos. Eagland, 

John Patrick. North, Richard Stead, Thomas Harrison. 

North- East, elected, John Morfitt, 719 ; Samuel Brown Hargreave, 

705; defeated, John Prest, l/S. North- West, Wm. Whitfield, 

Geo. Edvvard Taylor. South, Jame.s Smith, Thomas Powell. • 

We.st, Thomas Newsam, Peter Law Atkinson, William Walker. 

John Morfitt was elected chairman. 

April 5th. James Montgomery, Esq. , the venerable poet 
of Sheffield, being in his 79th year, attended divine service 
at the Moravian chapel, Fulneck. The i3oet was educated 



THE SURKOUNDING DISTRICT. 587 

1850.— April. 

at the seminary there, and had for a many years paid a ^dsit 
on Good Friday to that quiet and romantic village. 

11th. Great excitement was caused in Leeds at this time 
by the renewal of the education question. A public meeting 
was held in the Court-house, to promote national non- 
sectarian education, based upon local management. Hamer 
Stansf eld, Esq. , presided, and the meeting was addressed by 
Dr. Smiles, iS'Ir. Wm. Brook, and others. On the 15th, a 
meeting was held at twelve o'clock at noon, at the Court- 
house, and hj adjournment from thence, to the Music-hall, 
at seven o'clock in the evening. The object of this meeting 
was of supporting national education on the principle of 
strict impartiality to all religious sects, and as far as possible 
on the basis of local management. Mr. Alderman Shaw 
presided, and the meeting Avas addressed by the Hev. Wm. 
Sinclair, the Rev. Chas. Wicksteed, Mr. Councillor Joseph 
Barker, and others. On the 16th, another meeting was held 
at noon, in the Coloured Cloth-hall yard, to petition against 
the bill for secular education, brought into the House of 
Commons by Mr. W. J. Fox. The Rev. Dr. Holmes pre- 
sided, and addresses were delivered by Mr. Alderman Car- 
butt, the Rev. Mr. Williams, Edward Baines, Esq. and others. 
Hamer Stansf eld, Esq. , proposed, and Dr. Smiles seconded, 
an amendment in favour of secular education, which was 
supported by Mr. Councillor Joseph Barker, and others. 
At six o'clock in the evening a show of hands was taken, 
when the amendment was declared to be carried. 

17th. The first meeting of the Leeds Madrigal and Motet 
society was held this day. The object of the society was to 
encourage and promote a taste for vocal part music. Mr. 
Wm. Spark was appointed the musical director. 

20th. Four men named George Tallerton, Robert Farrer, 
Nathaniel Scholey, and William Jacques, excavators, em- 
ployed at some new reservoirs on Romalds moor, after drink- 
ing at a public house till late in the evening, at Otley, 
commenced breaking windov/s and damaging other property, 
and on being checked by several parties, they made a most 
brutal attack on the persons present, by which John Daw- 
son was killed, five others were stabbed, and a sixth had his 
neckcloth cut in an attempt to get at his throat. They were 
committed to York on a charge of wilful murder. The first 
was transported for three years, and the three latter for life. 
23rd. William Wordsworth the poet, died. 
May. A serious dispute existed at this time between the 
Leeds magistrates and the to'\VTi council, which threatened 



08H ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1850.— May. 

to become a matter of litigation, as the former body bad 
threatened proceedings in the Queen's bench. It would seem 
that the justices had increased the salaries of some of the 
officers of the Leeds Borough Gaol, and purchased provis- 
ions for the use of the gaol from the Leeds district flour mill, 
and that when the orders on the treasurer of the borough 
for the payment, amounting to £968 12s. 8d. , were sent to 
the council for confirmation, that body had refused to confirm 
them. The dispute was settled early in June by deputations 
from the council and justices holding a conference, and 
agreeing to certain rules of guidance for the future. 

June 11th. John Kirk, a brick-maker, died at , Busling- 
thorpe, Leeds, at the advanced age of 103 years. The de- 
ceased formerly resided in Park-lane. He came from 
Derbyshire to Leeds in 1763, and was first employed in 
making bricks for the Leeds Infirmary, which was opened 
for the reception of patients in 1768. Up to within two 
months of his death his eyesight was perfectly good, and he 
never had occasion to use a stick in walking. 

19th. The Rev. Dr. Bunting, a distinguished minister of 
the Wesleyan Connexion, was entertained at a public break- 
fast in the Brunswick rooms, Leeds, on which occasion up- 
wards of 600 persons from the Leeds four circuits assembled 
together. After which, an address to the reverend gentle- 
man was adopted, expressive of admiration of his public 
character. 27th. As Her Majesty was leaving Cam- 
bridge-house this afternoon, a respectably-dressed man, 
named Robert Pate, a retired lieutenant of the 10th Hus- 
sars, sprang forward, and with a small stick struck her a 
smart blow on the face. He was taken into custody, and 
transported for seven years. 

July 2nd. Sir Robert Peel was thrown from his horse 
near the Green-park, in London, on the 29th of June, and 
was so severely injured that he expired on the 2nd of July. 
The event caused the most intense and wide spread grief 
throughout the kingdom. No statesman of modern times, 
with the exception of Lord Palmerston, had spent so many 
years in the civil service of the crown as Sir Robert Peel. 
In 1841, he became First Lord of the Treasury, and rendered, 
perhaps the highest service ever rendered to a nation in 
1846, by abolishing the Corn Laws — a service which caused 
his expulsion from office, alienated his political friends, and 
brought on him the worst imputations, and the most 
inplacable enmity. He was born February 5th, 1788. 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 601 

1852 ^Frb. 

Tvlieii ail at once, m a moment, tlie ponderous cnibankment 
was carried away by the force and "weiglit of the pent np 
waters, and desolation, ruin, and death, overspre^id the rich 
and fertile valley for miles. Trees were torn up by the roots, 
and hurried onward by the rush of vratcrs, roaring with 
renewed fury as they swept down each sricccssive obstruction. 
The death-shrieks of scores ^rere hushed as the flood passed 
forwards to new scenes of destruction and death, leaving in 
its track, ponderons pieces of rock weighing many tons ; the 
dead carcases of horses, cows, goats, and uther cattle ; here 
and there broken machinery, bags of wool, carding machines, 
dye-pans, steam engine boilers, timber, spars, looms, fiimi- 
ture, and everj'- variety of wreck. It would seem as if the 
v,-hole body of accumulated waters had tumbled down the 
valley together, sweeping all before them, throwing a four 
story mill dcAvn like a thing of nought, tossing steam-en- 
gine boilers about like feathers, and carrying death and 
destruction in their progress. In c-juseqaence of the nar- 
rowness bets^-een the mountain blufts on either side, a vast 
volume of water was kept together, which spent its force 
upon Holmnrth, where the mass of liouses, shops, luills, 
warehouses, and other buildings were expected to present a 
formidable barrier to its furtlier progress. The check, bow- 
ever, was but momentary, for the flood with the mass of 
floating wreck which it carried in its bosom, shot through 
buildings, gutting some, and tumbling down others, until it 
found a farther outlet, and passed on doing more or less 
damage lower doAvn the valley at Thongs Bridge, Honley, 
and Armitage Bridge. After passing the place last men- 
tioned, the flood got more into the open countr3^ spreading 
itself out in the fields and swelling the rivers down below 
Huddersfield. Volumes might be written on the details and 
incidents connected with the catastrophe. A few of the 
most striking may be mentioned. A few hundred yards 
below tlie reservoir stood a small building, two stories high, 
called Bilberry mill, in the occupation of Joseph Broad- 
head, and used as a scribbling and dressing mill. The end of 
the mill was caught by the sudden swell, and about ten feet in 
length and its gable were washed down the valley. A little 
further down the valley, and on the same side as Bilberrj- 
mill, stood Digley Upper mill, lately occupied by Mr. John 
Furniss, woollen manufacturer. The building was a block 
of stone work, consisting of a factory, a large house, farm 
buildings, and outhouses. The end of the mill was washed 
away, a quantity of machinery, and a large amount of pro- 

51 



602 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1852.— Feb. 

perty in the shape of pieces, warps, <fec. , destroyed, and the 
gable end of the house, which was comparatively new, and 
the farm buildings swept away. In the latter were twelve 
tons of hay, three cows, a horse, and several head of poultry, 
which were all carried down the stream. A short distance 
below Mr. Furniss's premises stood Digley mill property, 
which consisted of a large building sixty yards square, four 
stories high, built of stone ; a weaving shed, containing 
thirty-four looms and other machinery ; two dwelling houses, 
seven cottages, farm, and other outbuildings, making alto- 
gether a small town. Adjacent to it, in the valley and on 
the hill side, were several fields of rich and fertile land ; the 
whole forming a secluded but compact estate, valued at 
from twelve to fifteen thousand pounds. In one of the 
houses, built on the river side, resided Mrs. Hirst, widow of 
the late George Hirst ; and in the other resided Henry 
Beardsall, her son-in-law. The cottages were occupied by 
the workpeople. The buildings formed a mass of solid 
stone work ; but the torrent swept it away like a straw, 
carrying its ponderous machinery down the valley, and 
tossing its boilers about with the greatest ease. The engine 
was carried from its place, and became embedded in the mud 
lower down the valley. The house built on the hill side 
remained, but the cottages and all the other buildings were 
carried away, except a tall engine chimney. With the 
buildings were swept away four cows and a valuable horse. 
Bank End mill is the next building in the valley. Its gable 
end, and one window from the top to the bottom of the 
building, was washed away. It was completely gutted in 
the lower rooms, and the machinery in the upper stories was 
thrown together in heaps. The dyehouse and stove, about 
twenty yards long, were completely cleared away, leaving 
nothing of them standing above the ground. This property 
belonged to John Roebuck, whose loss was estimated at from 
two to three thousand pounds. The valley here widens, 
until it reaches Holme Bridge, a small village, composed of 
a few hundred inhabitants. The stream here is crossed by a 
bridge of one arch, about forty yards on one side of which 
stands Holme Church, in the centre of a grave-yard ; and 
about the same distance on the other side stand a toll-gate 
and a number of dwellings. The foundations of the bridge 
were washed completely bare, and the stream flowing from 
the Bilberry reservoir for some weeks passed through a large 
opening washed away in the road on the outside of the bridge, 
which was about ten yards wide, ten feet deep, and had to 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 603 

]852.— Feb. 

be crossed by a plank. The wall siirro-anding tlie church 
had been washed away by the torrent, and the few trees 
planted in the yard were uprooted and had gone down the 
stream. The interior of the church and the grave-yard pre- 
sented a melancholy spectacle. Inside the church the water 
had risen about five feet. The floor was torn up — the pews 
had been floating, and the floor was covered with sand and 
mud several inches thick. In the centre of the aisle was 
laid the body of a goat which had been washed from upper 
Digley mill, and within a few feet of it, resting on the seat 
of one of the pews, lay the coffin and remains of a full grown 
man. Both these relics, with others not found, had been 
washed up from their graves by the whirlpools formed by the 
current, as it passed over the churchyard. The road and 
fields from the reservoir downwards to this point were alm.ost 
covered with huge masses of stone and other loose substances, 
of which, the bank of the reservoir had been formed. Down 
to this point, no human life appears to have been lost ; but 
a little lower down, at the village of Hinchlifie mill, the loss 
of life was very great. This village is on the left bank of 
the river, and consists principally of cottage houses. The 
factory, which gives its name to the village, is a large build- 
ing five stories high, built on the opposite side of the river, 
and which remained, though the water had passed its 
first and second floor, and done great damage to the 
machinery. The mill was for some time blocked up to the 
windows in the second story with huge pieces of timber, 
broken machinery, and wreck of various descriptions, which, 
the torrent brought down from the mills above. On the vil- 
lage side of the river, six dwellings, Avhich formed " Water- 
street," were swept down, and hurled forward with the flood, 
and thirty five of the inmates perished. The following is a 
list of the occupants of the houses that were swept down. 
The first house was occupied by Miss Marsden and three 
others ; the second by Josepli Todd, his wife and children ; 
the third by Jonathan Crosland, and seven others ; the 
fourth by James Metternick, and nine others ; the fifth by 
Joshua Earn sh aw, his little girl, and two sons : and the 
sixth by John Charlesworth, and nine others.- The houses 
in this neighbourhood not washed down were, in some cases 
flooded into the chambers ; and in one of them — the endmost 
left standing — were sixteen individuals, who saved their 
lives by getting on an adjoining roof. In the adjoining 
houses, which are known by a different name, five persons 
perished from the houses being filled with water. Of the 



604 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1S52.— Feb 

five persons who perished in the houses above Hinchliffe, 
three were drowned in one house, viz, : — James Booth, his 
wife, and a lodger. In the sa^iie pile of buildings, the wife 
of J osex^h Brook, (who was endeavouring to save herself and 
child,) was drowned vrith her infant in her arms. The 
country grows wider below the last-mentioned place, and in 
the centre of a wide valley stands Bottom's mill. From the 
open country here offered to the stream, this factorj^ which 
is a very large one, sustained comiparatively little damage. 
After leaving Bottom's mill, the torrent assailed the machine 
shops and works of Pogson and Co. ; proceeding thence to 
Harpin's Victoria woollen mill, doing great damage. Ma- 
chinery was broken ; outhouses and cottages carried away, 
and much other property destroyed. At the time of the 
calamity, twenty persons were in these cottages, who were 
only rescued by a commnnication being opened up through 
the walls with the end house, which was rather higher up 
awa;/- from the flood. Here, in one chamber, the poor 
creatures were huddled together, expectingmomentary death, 
v/Iien at last the water abated sufficiently to allow of their 
brting removed, which was scarcely effected before the house 
fell. ^Vithin a short di-^tance of Victoria mill stands Dyson's 
mill, v/hich was occupied by Mr. Sandford ; in the yard of 
wliich mill Mr. Sandford resided. His house was swept 
away, and with it himself, his two children, and servant. 
T]ie factory sustained very serious damage both in its walls 
and machinery. Mr. Sandford was a person of considerable 
property, and is said to have had three or four thousand 
pounds in the house at that time. However this may be, it 
is known that he had just before been in treaty for the pur- 
chase of a considerable estate at Penistone, and that he had 
only that very week giv(3n instructions to a sharebroker at 
Rudders field to buy for him a large amount of London and 
]N"orth Western railway stock. His liie was also insured for 
a liirge sum. The bodies of Mr. Sandford's two daughters 
and liis housekeeper were found a few days after the flood ; 
but the body of Mr. Sandford was not found until the 20th 
of February. His friends wished to find the body in order 
to prove hi.s death, without which they would not have 
been entitled to receive the amount secured by his policy of 
insurance. A reward of ten pounds was therefore in the 
first instance offered for the recovery of the body, which 
sum was afterwards increased to one hundred pounds. 
Procklington, or Farrar's upper mill is the nest, the large 
dyehouse of which was comi^letely destroyed, with its huge 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 605 

1852— Feb. 

pans and fixtures. The damage was estimated at two to tliree 
thousand pounds ; and one of the boilers weighing six tons, 
was carried by the water to Berry Brow, a distance of three 
miles. These were the property of Mr. John Farrar. The 
factory known as the Lower Mill, situate a little below, was 
built across the stream ; but the torrent of water rushed 
onward and carried the greater portion of the building along 
with it, leaving only the two ends standing. The mill was 
filled with valuable machinery and woollen material, and 
was the property of Mr. Hobson Farrar. In the factory 
yard two children were drowned, and a little further down a 
third child was discovered dead. At the George Inn, near this 
place, nine bodies, principally recovered from the stream, were 
laid. Amongst them were Jonathan Crosslaiid and his son, 
a 3"0ung man, the latter of whom had been taken out at 
upper mill, where he had been so tightly wedged into the 
wall that two men had hard work to drag him out. Between 
Mr. Farrar's dyehouse and Holmfirth is a place called Scarr 
Fold, where a man, his wife, and two children resided. 
When the water burst into the house, they were all in bed, 
and his wife and two children were drowned ; but the 
husband Avas awoke by hearing a loud crack, and immediately 
the water rushed into his house, burst open the staircase 
door, and floated him up into the room above ; where he 
narrowly escaped death, but fortunately the w-ater did not 
quite reach the ceiiing. Here he remained until the flood 
had subsided. At Holmfirth, hundreds of dwellings were 
inundated, some of them were filled to the top story, com- 
piling the inmates to escape through, and get upon the roof 
for safety ; indeed the houses were thoroughly gutted. The 
shops were principally situate at the lowest point of the 
village, near to the bridge, and the stocks of most of them 
were destroj^ed. The upper bridge was dismantled and 
overflowed ; and Hallowgate, a long street, siifiered severely 
from the flood. The bed of the river was completely choked 
up, and the current diverted from its usual course. Happily 
no lives were lost ; but the most heart-rending scenes occurr- 
ed to the inhabitants of some of the houses on the opposite 
side of the street, the foundations of which are now washed 
by the river. On the left hand side of what the day previous 
was a narrov/ street, stood the toll-bar house kept by S. 
Greenwood, who with his wife and child were swept away. 
He was seen to come out of the house with a lighted candle 
in his hand ; returned into the house, closed the door after 
him, and in a moment or two not a vestige of the house 



606 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK AND 

1852.- Feb. 

could be seen. Lower down, on the same side of the street, 
was an extensive warehouse, occupied by Messrs. Cra,wshaw, 
curriers, which Avas swept away, as also a cottage, in which 
a man with his wife and child perished. A cottage adjoining 
these premises met a similar fate. It was occupied by a 
labouring man, with whom lived his son-in-law and daughter 
with their child. The three latter were drowned ; while a 
remarkable deliverance awaited the old man ; who was 
driven by the force of the current into Victoria-square, on 
the opposite side, a little lower down the street. He was 
seen floating on the water by a person, who at once stretched 
out a pole to the drowning man, and rescued him from 
almost certain death. At Rochet, Mr. James Lee, tailor, 
perished, and the only wonder is that the house did not 
come down. Lee and his grandson Job, were down stairs 
at the time making some black clothes for a funeral. The 
flood burrtt open the dor^r, and the old man, unable to help 
himself, was dfowned. Job managed to swim about the 
house, and fortunately liis cries were heard by a man and 
his wife, wlio lodged in the house, and were asleep upstairs ; 
they iiJiRiediately ran to his assistance, but found them- 
selves unable to open the chamber door ; with their feet, 
however, they managed to force out one of the panels, and 
through a small aperture of only five inch square, pulled 
Job by the head and shoulders. The Holmfirth mill sustain- 
ed very serious damage. On the opposit9 side stood the 
Wesleyan chapel, with f)art of the grave-yard washed away. 
Although the chapel stood very firm, the earth was washed 
away to the depth of several feet very near one corner. The 
chapel was flooded to within a foot of the tops of the pews. 
The preachers' houses Avere elevated a few yards higher up, 
but the cellars were filled, and, terror-stricken by the awful 
calamity, the Rev. B. Fii-th, and the Rev. T. Gixrbut, with 
their wives and children, ran out of their houses in their 
night dresses, and sought shelter on the hill side. Several 
strange sights were presented in the grave-yard, and perhaps 
the most singular was that occasioned by the whirling flood 
having scooped out the slumbering occupant of one of the 
graves, leaving a yawning gulph. To the left, were some 
extensive blue dye works, the destruction of these premises 
was most complete. A little above the mill, and between 
that building and a stable, stood two small cottages ; one 
occupied by Sidney Hartley and his family, and the other by 
Richard Shackleton and his family. Both these families, 
with the exception of three, were swept away with the cot- 



THE SURROUNDING DISTHICT. 607 

1852— Fhb. 

tages, Victoria bridge was disiiiantled. On the riglit liaiid 
side, over the bridge, was a new row of shops, built in the 
modern style, every one of which was flooded. The loss Sus- 
tained by the various occupaijts was great. Several of the 
houses lower down the stream were injured, but not to any 
considerable extent. The gas works suffered damage by some 
of the mains being washed uj) ; and the county bridge, lead- 
ing to the railway station, was grea,tly damaged, and the 
-battlements destroyed. After leaving Holmfirth, the Holme 
runs parallel with, and a.t a short distance from, the Hud- 
dersfield and Holns firth road. The fields immediately bej^ond 
the bridge were strewn with wood, hay, and other articles. 
At ]Mytholm bridge mill, the dyehouse sufiered severely, ful- 
ling stocks were injured, and the machinery broken. At 
Smithy-place, (a hamlet about two miles north east of Holm- 
firth) the water rose to a fearful height, and but for alarms 
which vv-ore made, the loss of life must have been great. 
Whole f;imilies had to leave their beds and betake themselves 
out of tJio waj' of the flood, with no other covering than 
what they slept in ; and the shrieks and cries of cliiidren, for 
their parents, and parents for their children, were heart- 
rending in the extreme. ^ The damage done to the mill, to 
the bridge, and to several cottages in this place was great. 
From Honley to Armitage-bridge, the wreck vras fearful, 
the front a.nd back walls of St. Paul's church, at the latter 
place being completely destroyed. Two children were found 
dead above the Golden Fleece Inn, one of them on the water 
side, and the other had been washed into a tree near the 
place. They were both conveyed to the Golden Fleece Inn, 
Park-gate. A woman was found dead and naked in a field 
near Armitago-fold. There was much injury done by the 
flood to the mill belonging to Messrs. J. and T. C. Wrigley, 
Dungeon, situate a little south of Lockwood viaducts. The 
flags of the floors in the lower rooms of the mill were re- 
moved ovit of their places ; thirty bags of wool were flooded 
from the premises, along Avith a Targe quantity of cop- 
ins, waste, and other goods ; upwards of one hundred 
pieces of cloth were damaged, and part of the strong 
iron tentering broken down, and a valuable machine com- 
pleteij^ destroyed. Beyond this part there was sonje 
slight damage done, but which it is unnecessary to detaiJ. 
From a statement published soon after the occurrence, it 
appeared that so far as could be ascertained 77 lives had 
been lost, 38 of them being adults, and P>0 children ; 28 . 
were married, 12 un-married, and 12 children were left 



608 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YOKK, AND 

1852.— Feb. 

destitute. The estimated damage, and summary of property- 
destroyed was as follows : — Buildings destroyed : — 4 mills, 
10 dyehouses, 3 stoves, 27 cottages, 7 tradesmen's houses, 
7 shops, 7 bridges, 10 warehouses, 8 barns and stables. 
Buildings seriously injured: — 5 dyehouses and stock, VT 
mills, 3 stoves, 129 cottages, 7 tradesmen's houses, 44 large 
shops, 11 public houses, 5 bridges, one county bridge, 200- 
acres of land, 4 warehouses, 13 barns, 3 places of worship, 
and 2 iron foundries. Hands thrown out of employment : — 
Adults, 4,896, children, 2,142, total, 7,038. The total loss 
of property was estimated at £250,000. The coroners jury 
who viewed the bodies of the persons drowned by the flood, 
in addition to returning the usual verdict of found drowned^ 
made a statement to the elfect, that the Holme Reservoir 
Commissioners had been guilty of great and culpable negli- 
gence, in allowing the reservoir to remain for several years 
in a dangerous state, with a full knowledge thereof, and that 
had they been in the position of a private individual or firm, 
they would certainly have subjected themselves to a verdict 
of iiianslaugliter. Handsome subscriptions were raised for 
the sufferers in various parts of the country, amounting 
altogether to £68,000. A large surplus of the fund was left, 
after relieving the sufferers, which was devoted towards the 
erection of five alms houses, the first stone was laid in 1856. 
A brass plate bore the following inscription : — 

" The foundation stone of the Hohnfirth monumental alms houses, 
erected to commemorate the great flood, caused by the bursting of the 
Bilberry reservoir, on the 5th of Feb., 1852, (by which upwards of 
eighty lives were lost) ; and also the munificent liberahty of the 
British public, was laid by the Provincial Grand Lodge of Freemason's 
of West Yorkshire, on Monday, the 21st of April, 1856, A.M., 
5856." 

Feb. 20tli. Government defeated in the Commons, on 
Lord Palmerston's amendment on the militia bill, by a ma- 
jority of eleven. 21st. Tiie Russell ministry resigned. 

22nd. The Earl of Derby succeeded in forming a cabinet. 
This gave rise to a renevfal of the free trade agitation at 
Manchester and other places. A great free trade meeting 
v/as held at Leeds on the 4th of March, in a large wooden 
buildiug erected for a circus in Boar-lane, Sir George Good- 
man in the chair. The principal speakers were Alderman 
Carbutt, Richard Cobden, Esq., M.P., Edward Baines, 

Esq.. and others. 26th. At her Majesty's Levee this 

day, the well merited honour of knighthood vv^as conferred 
on George Goodman, Esq. , mayor of Leeds. 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. G09 

18o2 —March 

March 15tli. At this time party feeling was carried to such 
an excess amongst the members of the Wesleyan body (coii- 
fereuce party aud reformers) at Yeadon, as to lead to tumul- 
tuous gatherings of the people in the village. A series of 
attacks had been made on the house of the Rev. Mr. Shrews- 
bury, which induced that gentleman to leave Yeacu-n. 
After jMr. Shrewsbury had left the chapel Iiouae, the cdji- 
ference party deteruiined to remove the furniture, notwith- 
standing that ten out of fifteeji of the trustees, had made it 
over to the reformers. On the 15th of March, while some 
persons were so engaged, a crowd of from 1,500 to 2,000 
people assembled, locked the gates, assaulted s^ane of the 
persons engaged in placing the furniture on the waggon, 
uttered all sorts of cries, threw stones aud other niissiles^t 
the conference party, and otherwise acted in such a tumul- 
tous and riotous manner as to prevent the removal on that 
day. Similar disturbances took place on other days, and 
eventually several persons were brought before the West- 
Riding Justices at the Leeds Court-house, when the parties 
charged vrere bound over to keep the peace, and others com- 
mitted to York on charges of riot, tire, A compromise was 

. subsequently made. The reformers retained possession of 
the chapel, and the conference party of the house adjoining. 
On Sunday the 13th of March in the following year (1853,) 
prayer meetings were being held by the reformers in the 

. chapel, and by the conference party in the house, v/hen a 
crowd assembled round the latter place ; became very excited, 
and threw stones through the Vvindows and at the door. 
Thomas Mann, or some one in the house, in order to frighten 
away the crowd, fired a gun and ^severely wounded Hiram 
Yeadon. Mann was committed to York, along with a per- 
son named Sykes. They were both convicted, and ordered 

to be imprisoned one month. 20tli. In consequence of 

Su' George Goodman having allowed himself to be put in 

. nomination at the forthcoming Leeds election, a special meet- 
ing^ of the council was held this day, when his resignation 
of the office of ma^yor was accepted, and Mr. Alderman 
Shaw elected in his place. 

April 3rd. As some workmen in the employ of Messrs. 
Longley, of V/ortley, near Leeds, were digging clay for the 
purpose of making bricks, they discovered at the depth of 
ten feet, in a dark blue sedimentary clay, almost approach- 
ing mud, a large number of bones, which Mr. Denny, of 

the Leeds Philosophical Society found to be the remaius of 

the great Northern Hippopotamus, (Plippopotamus Major,) 
He secured them for the Society's Museum, and they are un- 



610 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1852. — April. 

questionably the most valuable series of British Hippopota- 
mic remains in the kingdom. Amongst the bones exhumed 
were several belonging to the Elephant, (Elephas Primige- 
nius,) and the Urus, (Bos Primigenius, ) Mr. Denny states 
that the remains of the Hippopotamus indicate the quadru- 
peds to have been of different ages, two of them had been 
adult individuals, one considerably larger than the other, and 
one a young animal, and that from the situation in which 
they were found, it is highly probable that the animals had 
lived and died in the immediate vicinity, and were subse- 
quently drifted, together with fragments of trees, to the 
bottom or lower part of a swamp. 

Guardians of the Poor for the township of Leeds, elected 
April 5th, 1852 :— 

Tha«e in brackets were elected. 

East, [William Clarke, George Lumh ] Kirkgate, [Chas. 

Crabtiee, 264, Seth Joy, 260.] Edmund Stead, 164, Benjamin Har- 

ral, 155. Mill-Hill, [William Booth, John KighlejClapham, 

John Patrick.] North, [Richard Stead, 248, Richard Harri.son 

Singleton, 238,] Joseph Lin.sley, 209, Joseph Broadhead, 209 - — — 
North- East, [John Lonsfley, Edv,-ard Lawson] North- 
west, [William Whitfield, Thomas Royston.] South, [Hutch- 
inson Gresham, James Smith.] West, [Peter Law Atkinson,. 

Dennis Lee, Thomas Newsam.] 

Mr. Thomas Newsam, was elected chairman. 

April 19th. At a Board meeting of the Leeds General In- 
firmary, the treasurer reported that he had received £8, 600, 
the net amount of a legacy left to the charity, by the late 
Thomas Clapham, Esq., of Stackhouse. 

25th. At a meeting of j;he Leeds town council held this 
day, a resolution, authorizing the purchase of the Leeda 
waterworks was passed by twenty two against sixteen. This 
resolution also gave authority to co-operate with the direct- 
ors of the waterworks company, in obtaining parliamentary 
sanction to a bill then in the House of Commons, for legal- 
ising the j)ast and future acts of the company in taking water 
from the river Wharf e, near Hare wood. The council agreed 
to purchase the shares at par price, and make up to the 
holders of shares their past dividends to six per cent. On 
the 17th of November following, at a special meeting of the 
council, a motion was carried to the effect " That the cor- 
porate common seal of the borough of Leeds be affixed to^ 
the transfer of all the undertaking, estates, property, and 
effects of the Leeds waterworks company, from the said 
company to the mayor, aldermen, and burgesses of the said 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 611 

852.— April. 

>orougli, under, and by virtue of ' ' The Leeds Waterworks 
Wharf e supply,) Act, 1852." The amount due to the 
liareholders of the waterworks company was £165, 206 9s. 6d. 
ind the liabilities of the company £62, 211 additional, making 
he total amount of the purchase money £227,417 9s. 6d. 

May 8th. The first people's concert under the direction of 
;he Leeds Hecreation Society, took place this day. 

June 9th. The house of Commons unanimously passed a 
•esolution, placing iu custody Mr. Feargus O'Connor, one 
)f the members for Nottingham. Mr. O'Connor, from his 
rery strange conduct in the house, and out of doors, was 
jlearlj^ suftering from complete mental derangement. The 
mfortunate gentlemen was subsequently placed in a lunatic 

isylum, v>'liere he died. 19th. On the evening of this 

lay, for tlio first time, two bands engaged by the Leeds 
Recreation Society played on Woodliouse moor. The bands 
continued to play on Monday and Saturday evenings, in 
Favourable weather, during the summer months. 

26th. An oflScial inquiry into the disputed election 
3f Poor-law Giiardians. was commenced this day, and occu- 
pied several days at the Industrial Schools, Burniantofts, by 
E. B. Farnall, Esq. , the poor-law inspector for the district. 
Ihe complaint was, that the elections of Mr. Richard Stead, 
md Mr. Richard Harrison Singleton, for the I^orth ward, 
md of Mr. Seth Joy, and Mr. Charles Crabtree, for the 
Kirkgate ward, were efiected by means of forged and altered 
v^oting papers, and the loss or abstraction of others. The 
inspector laid his report before the poor-law board, when 
bhat body by a letter from the secretary, dated 1st of October, 
1852, refused to adopt any steps Avith reference to the 
elections, but expressed an opinion that they had been con- 
ducted in a highly improper and irregular manner. 

July 9th. Leeds Election. — On the 1st of July parlia- 
ment was dissolved. A public meeting of the liberal electors 
of Leeds had taken place on the 1st of March, previously, 
when J. G. Marshall, Esq. M.P., Sir George Goodman, 
and Francis Carbutt, Esq. were severally proposed and 
seconded as fit to represent the borough. The two former 
gentlemen received the largest show of hands. Mr. Marshall 
subsequently declined to stand on the ground of ill health. 
Matthew Talbot Baines, Esq. , was brought out on the 16th 
of March, as a colleague of Sir George Goodman. On the 
26th of April, the conservative electors met at Fleischman's 
Hotel, and voted an address to William Beckett, Esq. M. P. , 
and passed resolutions asking that gentleman to aUow him- 



612 AIsNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1852.— July, 

self to be nominated. He however declined, and the partjr 
then broiTght out liobert Hall, Esq. , .and Thomas Sidney, 
Esq. The nomination took place on. Woodhoiise moor, at 
eleven o'clock on the 8th of July, when James Garth Marshall, 
Esq., proposed, and Thomas William Tottie, Esq., seconded 
the nomination of the Rt. Hon. M. T. Baines, Esq. Mr. 
Joseph Cliff, proposed, and Mr Edward Baines, seconded 
Sir George Goodman. Mr, Thomas Fountain, proposed, 
and Mr John Tempest, seconded E-obert Hall, Esq. " Mr. 
Joseph Mason Tennant, proposed, and Mr. John Woodhead, 
seconded Thomas Sidney, Esq. , alderman of London. After 
Mr. Baines, Mr. Goodman, and Mr. ^/heelhouse, (on behalf 
of Mr. Hali,) and Mr, Tennant, (for Mr. Sidney,) had ad- 
dressed the meeting, a show of hands was taken, which the 
mayor declared to be in favour of Mr. Baines and Sir G. 
Goodman. A poll Vfas demanded on behalf of Mr. Hall, 
and Mr. Sidney. The poll took place on the following day, 
and stood at its close as follows : — 

Sir George Goodman (L) 2,344. 

The Fd. Hon. M. T Barnes (L) 2,311. 

Robert HalJ , Esq (C) 1, 132. 

Thomas Sidney, Esq (C) 1,089. 

The mayor, (J. H. Shaw, Esq.,) declared the two former 
candidates to be duly elected. 

10th. West-Ridijstg Election". — At Wakefield, this day, 
took place the nomination of candidates for the West-riding. 
W. M. E. Milner, Esq., proposed, and Francis Carbutt, 
Esq., seconded the nomination of Richard Cobden, Esq. M.P. 
The Hon. E. Lascelles, M.P., proposed, and John Rand, 
Esq., seconded the nomination of Edmund Denison. Esq. 
'No other candidates being proposed, the two gentlemen 
nominated were declared to be duly elected. 

July. The construction of the main sewers in many of the 
principal streets of Leeds at this time, and for a long time 
afterwards, Avas of great inconvenience to the public yet 
it was borne with exemplary patience, from a conviction that 
the great undertaking when completed, would be of immense 
good in making the town sufficiently drained. The subject 
of the drainage of the borough was before the town council 
for eleven years. The first report on tlie subject was 
made by Captain Vetch, R.E., and is dated December 31st, 
1842. The second report for draining a district at the west 
end of Leeds only, by the then borough surveyor, Mr. 
Thoinas Walker, and dated 1844. The third report was by 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. G13 

1852.— JVLY. 

J. W. Leather, Esq. C.E., dated Feb. lOtli, 1845. The 
fourth was that of Thomai^ V/icksteed, Esq. C.E., dated 
Nov. 20th, 1848 ; and the fifth Avas from J. W. Leather, 
Esq. C.E., dated Dec. 12th, 1848. Snbse(iiient]y, a depi-- 
tatioii of the Leeds town council, after having visited London, 
Birmingham, Manchester, and Livorpi^ol, piihlished a report 
on the adviuitages of nsing glazed earthenware tubes for 
scvvcrs. Tlie cost of seweiing the public streets and 
thoroughf?ires in the three townslii}>s of Leeds, Hunslet, 
and Holbcck, was estimated at £80,C'00, J. W. Leathei, 
Esq. was appointed engineer. Tlip. main sewers extend over 
thii-ty five miles, and the cost has been £130,000. 

The sewerage works were of great interest to the. geologist, 
indicating doA\i5 the whole extent of Huns^,et-lane, that the 
former course of the river Aire ^^'as much more to the south 
than at present ; that it was proba];ly of greater width, and 
conveyed the vast torrent of water vvdiich flowed from the 
more mountainous districts of the coriutry, (before it was 
diverted into various channels by the hand of man,) together 
with the animals and trees, which happened to impede its 
progress, or vrere washed from its banks. This was satisfac- 
torily shown hj the bones of deer, oxen, etc. , which were from 
time to time exhumed, associated with alluvial, gravel, bould- 
ers, and sand. During the month of July, in prosecuting 
the excavations through Wilson-street, and nearly opposite 
Christ church, the workmen in the employ of Mr. Buxtoi., 
contractor, discovered at the de^^th of twenty feet, in a bed 
of sedimentary clay, a very fine horn of the red deer, up- 
wards of three feet in length, and weighing 8^1bs, in a very 
liigh state of preservation. Above the horn was the trunk 
of an oak tree, twenty two feet in length, and fifty 
two inches in circumference, perfectly hard and black, 
and in all probability coeval with the horn. The 
remains of this animal, wliich, although considerably 
larger than those of the red deer of the present day, 
presents no other distinguishable character than size, occurs 
in various parts of Britain, associated with those of the 
giant deer, or Irish elk, short horned ox, (tc, and is the 
only species of quadruped which appears to have survived 
those infiuences which caused the extinction of its more 
gigantic contemporaries. Mr. Buxton kindly presented this 
interesting relic to the Museum of the Leeds Philosophical 
and Literaiy Society. 

On Sunday morning the 1st vi August, an accident a,t- 
tended with A'ery serious conseqiiences to many persons, 

52 



614 ANXALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

jS52. — Aro. 

occurred on the road midway between Burley and Ilklej^, by 
the overturning of an omnibus, heavily laden with passengers 
from the Arthington station, Sa,mnel Morrel, the driver of 
the omnibus when near the road leading to Mount Stead, 
stopped and dismounted to adjust some part of the harness 
which liad become disarranged or broken. While he was 
doing this, another omnibus driven by James Walker, which 
had hitherto been behind, passed before him. Morrel shortly 
after resumed his place on the box, and drove forward at a 
rapid pace. He soon came up to his competitor, and en- 
deavoured to pass him, but ere he had got entirely clear of 
the first horse of V/alker's omnibus, the near hind wheel of 
his own came off, and the vehicle was overturned ; the whole 
of the passengers, forty seven in number, being precipitated 
with great violence among the horses of Walker's omnibus. 
The shrieks and cries which arose at the moment were 
dreadful. Some were trampled upon by the frighted and un- 
manageable horses, some were lying bleeding, crushed beneath 
the fallen vehicle, and some were being lacerated beneath 
the wheels of the other omnibus. The scene resembled a 
battle field in miniature, in the number of the w^ounded and 
apparently dying persons that strewed the ground. Seven 
or eight of the passengers were very seriously injured. Many 
more escaped with slight contusions and bruises. The great- 
est sufferers were Mrs. Sarah Firth, Bramley, Mr. Sowry, 
pawnbroker, Leeds, Mr. Scholefield, boot and shoe maker, 
Central Market, Leeds, Mr. Francis Lowe, at Messrs. 
Lupton, and Co., Leeds, Mr. Samuel Strickland, clerk to 
the Leeds Northern railway company, Thomas Johnson, 
woolsorter, Ilkley, and Mr. Fletcher, commercial traveller. 
Great blame attached to the driver of the omnibus which 
lost iis wheel, Mrs. Sarah Firth died from the injuries she 
received. The coroners jury which sat upon the deceased, 
returned a verdict of manslaughter against the driver, to- 
gether with a censure on the officials of the Leeds Northern 
Railway company, " for the reckless and dangerous way in 
which omnibuses have been allovv'ed to load, especially on a 

Sunday." 10th. The foundation stone of the church of 

Sc. John the baptist, ISTew Wortley, Leeds, was laid by the 
E-ev. W. F. Hook, i).D., vicar of Leeds. The fimds for 
the erection of the church were raised by the contributions 
of the inhabitants and others, aided by a donation of £1,000 
given through the vicar by an unknov/n benefactor, and by 
grants from her Majesty's Commissioners for the building of 
churelies, and the church building society. The cost was 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 615 

1852.— AUG. 

about £3,500. It is built in tlie style of architecture knorv-n 
as the geometrical decorated, or second pointed, and consists 
of nave, chancel, and side aisles, with south transept, the 
tower, surmounted by a spire, being placed on the north 
side. The church has accomodation for 700 persons, the 
sittings being entirely free. Messrs. Dobson and Chorley, 
of Leeds, were the architects. The church was consecrated 
by Dr. Longley, then Bishop of Ripou, on the ITtli Kov., 
1853. The district of Xew Wortley was constituted a sep- 
arate parish for ecclesiastical purposes under Sir Robert 
Peel's act in 1851, beuig endowed with an income of £150 
per annum, one iiaif ^.u" v.iiich was provided for by the trus- 
tees of the late Mrs. "JMattiicwman. The parisli has su]:.- 
sequently become a vicarage, under the provisions of the 
Leeds ^^icarage and Lord Blandford's acts. The Rev. A. 
J. Brameld is vicar. 

20th. The statue of Sir Robert Peel, sculptured by Behnes, 
was inaugrated at Leeds, at twelve o'clock at noon this day, 
in the presence of an immense assemblage of people, said to 
be between 30,000 to 40,000. The statue was^ilr.ced exactly 
opposite the newly erected and handsome Unitarian chapel, 
which fronts into Park-row. The procession of the com- 
mittee, the invited guest^, the tov/n couiicil, headed by the 
mayor wearijig his chain of ofhce, the magistrates, &c., 
left the Court-house at twelve o'clock, and vn arriving at 
the statue, took up their places within a raiJed area adjoin- 
ing. A raised platform, boxed in, was prepared for the 
speakers and invited guests, and on their appearance headed 
by ^Villiam Beckett, Esq., they v/ere loudly cheered by the 
assemblage. The band of the Yorkshire Hussars, and a 
portion of the artillery band, were placed on tho ground 
with a party of voca,l performers. Several pieces of ord- 
na,nce were arranged along the side of the rivei-, near Yv^ej- 
lingtou bridge. A signal Hag was fixed at the top of the 
Court-house, and at the sound of a trumpc t it ^vas uiifurleci, 
when a discharge of artillery took place, and tiie statiie vras 
uncovered, amidst the acclamations of tiie tlujusajids of 
spectators. William Beckett, Esq. then deliveK.d an address 
and presented the statue to the mayor, aldermen, and bur- 
gesses of the borough of Leeds, in the name of the subscri- 
bers, v,'ith a copy of the following resolutions written on 
parchment : — 

'•Ar ;i .sf'f'cial ineptiriir of tlic fommittee apjiointed to manajre the 
ereitiun and inaujiratioii of the slatue of the late Sir Rohert Pee;, 



616 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1852. — Aug. 

held on the 13th da}' of August, LS52, William Beckett, E.sq. in the 

chair. JResolved litiacimonsly : — 

That with a view to the presentation in perpetuity of the public 
statue of the late Right Hon. Sir Ivobert Peel, Bait., now in cour>e 
of erection on a site appurtenant to the Court- hoi..se, in Park-rnw, in 
Leeds, it is desimhle to vest the statue togefher with the pedestal, in 
tiie mayor, aldermen, and burgesses of the borough of Leeds, in the 
assurance that the same will be regarded and preserved by that bod^' 
as trustees for the pul)ltc, in a suitable manner. 1 hat therefore on 
the occasion of the inaugration or" the statue on the 20th of the present 
month of August, Wm. Beckett, Esq. as the chairm ui, and in the 
same of the committee an(i sub.scribers, bi' requested formdly to 
present and deliver the statue and pedestal i oto the charge of the cor- 
porate body, through the bands of his worship the mayor, together 
vv-ith a copy of these resolutions signed by the chairman. By virtue 
and in compliance with the preceeding resolutions, I hereby in the 
name and on behalf o' the sub.scribers and committee, accordingly, 
transfer to the hands of the mayor, aldermen, and burges.ses of the 
borough of Lee l-s the above mo;»tion-?d statue of thp late Sir Robert 
Peel, Bart , with the pedestal thereof as trustees for tlie pubhc. 

William Bkckktt, Chairman. 

The figure is eiglit feet six inches in height, and stands 
upon a pedestal of Scotch granite, eleven feet six inches 
high. It represents Sir Robert in his usual attitude when 
addressing the House of Comiuons, with a scroll of paper 
in his right hand, and the frock of his coat thrown back by 
his left, which rests upon his hip. The figure is in bronze, 
and Avas cast by Mr. F. Robinson of the statue Foundry, 
Pimlico, London, and presents the novelty of being cast 
altogether, instead of in parts as is usually the case. The 
v/eight of it is two tons, and the entire weight of the x'edes- 
tal and statue together is 29-0- tons. The cost of the statue 
and pedestal was 1,500 guineas, which was raised by sub- 
scription in Leeds amongst 6,000 subscribers varying from 

£100 to one penny. 28th. A labouring man n.amed 

Abraham Thresh, aged 48, residing in Long Close -lane. 
Bank, Leeds, received a blow over the head v/ith a manure 
grip, or fork, inflicted by his master David Williamson, of 
the Dog and Gun Inn, York-road. He received such injury 
as to cause his death. Williamson was committed to York 
on a charge of manslaughter, found guilty, but recommended 
to mercy. He was ordered to be imprisoned one week. 

30th. A most atrocious outrage, accompanied with exten- 
sive robbery was perpetrated at Bolton G-range, the residence 
of Charles Clough, Esq., solicitor, and clerk to the Brad- 
ford county court. About a quarter past nine in the evening, 



THE SURROrXDIXG DISTRICT. G17 

1852.— Aug. 

seven men wliose faces were blackened nud covered yvitli 
masks, and armed with pistols and bludgeons, entered the 
kitchen at Bolton Grange, and enquired ''where is the 
master." Tlie maid servants in the kitchin were alarmed at 
the sight of the men, and raised an alarm. The fellow^s 
using violent threats (.)rdered the women t(.> remain silent. 
Mr. Cloiigh hearing the noise thought it proceeded from the 
chihlren's bed room, aud ran up .stairs, where however he 
found them asleep. He then jUHiceedtd to the head of the 
stairca-se, and called out to know wlip.t was the matter. A 
man's voice replied "you are wanted down here sir." Mr. 
Clough ran down stairs, and as he reached tlie bottom step 
he was struck on the head with a bludgeon, and dashed 
senseless against the kitclien wall. Four of the fellows then 
seized him and robbed him of his gold watch, two five pound 
notes, three sovereigns and some silver. In the meantime 
Mrs. Clougii and the servants had been secured, and driven 
into one corner of the kitchin, w^here one of the fellows 
stood guard over them with a brace of pistols, presented, 
and threatening death to any that stirred. Behind him 
stood tvvo others also armed, who kept watch about the 
kitchen door. The remaining four forced Mr. Clough 
upstaii's to his bed-room, where they demanded the keys of 
his plate chest, secretary, drasvers, <\:c. He was theii 
throwTD. upon the bed, bleeding most profusely, and rough] 3' 
commanded to lie with liis face dovvTiw^ards. Mr. Clougb. 
ventured to turn his head on one side, and he immediately 
received a violent blow with a bludgeon. The robbers re- 
moved a large variety of silver ai-ticles from the plate chest, 
such as forks, spoons, jugs, cl:c. , which they took away. 
When they had completed the plunder of the chest Mr. 
Clough was ordered to rise from the bed and descend to the 
kitchen agaiji, where Mrs. Clough's watch was taken from 
her, and then the whole household, uiaster, mistress, and ser- 
vants, (including the groom who had been seized as he 
entered the house) were escorted by the gang into the cellar, 
Avhere they were left by the robbers, who t<)ok care to carry 
off with them some bottles of wine and spirits, and to lock 
the cellar door after them. After some time the party in 
the cellar hearing all quiet, managed to force the door, 
when they found that the robbers had got safely off with 
their valuable booty worth about £300. Every effort was 
made to discover the robbers, but without success for some 
time, although a reward of £100 was offered for the appre- 



618 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1852.— Skp!-. 

hension and conviction of any of them. At tlie winter gaol 
deliver;/ at York, Patrick Redmond, John Kelly, and 
Catherine Gorman were tried for being concerned in the 
robbery, (fcc. The two former were sentenced to death, 
which was commuted to transportation for life, and the latter 
was sentenced to six months imprisonment with hard labour. 

Sept. 14th. A most successful matrimonial hoax was 
pLiyed oiF at the BrJi and Mouth Hotel, Leeds, upon a 
Mr. Winter, who had shortly before advertised for a wife 
in the London papery. One or two wags thinking to have a 
joke at tlie expense of the advertiser, forwarded to his pub- 
lished address a delicate and perfumed hillet deux, purporting 
to have been written by a Miss Bailey, Mr. Winter in the 
simplicity of his heart replied, Miss Bailey answered, and 
thus a correspondence satisfactory to both, parties resulted 
eventually in a meeting on the 14th of September, a,t the 
hotel above mentioned, when Miss Bailej^ would explain her 
worldly affairs more fully, and introduce Mr. Winter to her 
relatives. A fair young gentlemen whose face was not en- 
cumbered with hirsute superfluities was dressed for the occa- 
sion, and acted the part of Miss Bailey with admirable tact. 
Mr. Winter was true to his appointment, and was ushered 
iiito the room to Miss Bailey. After a while, and when 
m:itters had in some measure being satisfactorily arranged, 
Miss Bailey had her relatives introduced ; first came her 
aifectionate brother, then followed in rapid succession her 
uiicles. cousins, and all her other male relatives. With 
the first half dozen the lover shook hands with vigorous 
cordiality ; but when they poured upon him in one unbroken 
tide, he found that lie was hoaxed to his hearts content. 
His only means of escape from Miss Bailey's very many 
relatives Vv^as to treat them to Avine and drink, which he did 
with right good nature, after which he was suffered to 

escape. 14th. Sir J. W. Ramsdeu, Bart., having this 

da;/ C(:>mpleted his majority, and entered on the proprietor- 
ship of the manor of Huddersfield, the day was ushered 
in vntli merry peals from the pariah church bells, and flags 
fiuttered from all the public buildings of the town. In con- 
sequence of its being the Huddersfield market day, the 
festi-\dties were postponed until the day following, when 
such rejoicing took place as will long be remembered by the 
people of Huddersfield. The greater part of the day vf, 
tept as a general holiday in the town. 

25th. In making the Sewerage excavations in Briggat 
Leeds, the workmen had to cut through a bed of inferior | 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. GIO 

1852.— S KPT. 

coal, about two feet iu tliickness (probably the Low moor 
bed) when fragments of the lovrer portion of a large stem, 
■with the roots of stigmaria ficoides Avere thrown up. It was 
so fractured from the effects of the powder as to render it.s 
restoration impossible, but sufficient was preserved to 
show its original magnitude, as the diameter of the principal 
branch of the root, where it proceeds from tlie stem was 
above one foot. Some of the fragments w^ere sent to the 

Philosophical-hall. 28th. The first stone of St. Jude's 

church, Pottery-field, Leeds, w\as laid by tiie Rev. Dr. 
Hook. It is a neat structure, erected at a cost of £3,000, 
and is a perpetual curacy valued at £150, in the alternate 
patronage of the crown, and the Bishoi) of Ripon. A par- 
sonage house was erected in 1857. It was consecrated 
by the Bishop of Ripou, on the 26th of October, in 
the following year, (1853.) The Rev. T. R. Dent, is 

the vicar. 29th. The first stone of the c'lurch 

of St. Micluiel's, Buslingthorpe, Leeds, was laid by John 
Gott, Es(p It was consecrated by the Bishop of Ripon, 
April 17th, 1854. It is a plain, but neat and substantial 
structure, iu the early decorated style, and cost £1,700, 
raised from public subscriptions and grants from the church 
commissioners. It was endowed by £500 from the Matthevr- 
man fund, and contains from 600 to 700 sittings, the whole 
of which are virtually free. It is a perpetual curacy, valued 
at £150, in the patronage of five trustees. The Rev. W. T. 

Dixon, M.A. is Incumbent. 30th. The Leeds town 

council granted £600 to the scavenging and nuisance com- 
mittee to defray the cost of removing n-ai;-iances and cleans- 
ing the borough. 

Oct. 9th. The Duchess of Kent and party paid a visit of 

several days to Doncaster. 16th, Louis Napoleon made 

a tour through the five southern provinces of France. He 
was proclaimed on the 6th of November following, Emperor 
of the French, under the title of Napoleon III. 

Daring this month as the quarrymen employed in the 
limekilns behind the house of Mr. John Pullen, of the 
Union Inn, on Thistle hill, near Knaresbro', were at work 
upon a stratum of limestone about twenty seven feet below the 
surface of the field, they came upon a considerable accu- 
mulation of large water worn boulders, mixed with fine 
clay. On removing these they discovered the skeletons of 
six or seven human beings, that had been covered by the 
stones, and which w^erc also embedded in fine alluvial clay. 
The skulls were of various dimensions, and the teeth in some 



G20 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

] 852.— Oct. 

of tliem were in perfect preservation. One pair of jaws was 
of ratlier a diminutive size ; tlio teeth which were small, 
white and regiiuir, see ned to be relics of a young adult 
female. X ) trace.s o: ariuour were found near the skeletons. 
The great depth at vr^iicii the bones \vere found is against the 
supptwitii.m that tli'_' place was a formal burial ground. It 
is supposed they were the victims of a foul tragedy, for the 
righb u]ipe:' jaw of one of the skulls was broken, evidently 
with a IjImw. Bo-ides Thistle hill, and many a mile around 
was formerh;" included hi the vrild forest of Knaresbro', the 
resort and ref;ige of outlaws and desperate men, who them- 
selves dwelt in dens and caves of the earth. An insj^ection 
of the place wbere the bones were lying, showed that it was 
a natural cavern in the limestone rock about seven feet Avide, 
live feet high, and of consirlerable length ; and also that it 
communicated with the surface above by an irregular perpen- 
dicular fissure just wide enough to allow a full grown man to 
pass. Among the bone,? were found the skull of a dog, and 
the jawbone of an ox. 

LEKDS MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS, Novemketi 1st, 1852. 

The names in brackets were elected. 

Mll.L-Hn.L, [Anthony Title.v, L, 31-2, John Marshall, L, 209,] 

Williim Li^-lKun, C. -262, John Snurh, C. 253. West, [George 

Brook, L, 311, John .Ar.'ill, U, 220,1 Thoma.s Tilney, C, 83. — 

North ^VK?^, [G. J. Cro vther, L.] North, [Williaia Maw.son, 

L.l North- K.ASr, [Jost-ph Broadhead, L, 318,] Charle-.s Rawson, 

C,226. East, i JolnrWainman, L.] Kirkgate, [Samuel Smith 

C, 1"5,J Thom;..s Sciii^ley, L, 184. South, [Hutchinson Greshara, 

L 1 Huxslkt. [Enoch Blickhurne, L, 919,] Thoma.s Jone.s, R, 

438 - — -HoTEECK, ;J(hn Whitehead, L, 940. Henry Slater, L, 

902,] John Holmes, h. 889, John Patterson, R, 840 Bram- 

l,E\\ i Jo'm Lupr(^,n, L. an'l .Mattliew Mo.s>-, L.] HeaDTNglky, 

[Robert Whitp, C, b9,] Sellers, L, .o/. 

Nov. 91:1). John Hope Sha'.v. Esq., elected mayor. 

An-zn-t 2:)t]i. West ward, vice Mr. Kt-lsall, elected aid. on the 20th 
of Aneu.'^t, in the place of Jonathan Dieki i.»on, [Jo.seph Lambert, L, 
215,] Joseph Ma.son Tenuant, C, 122. 

Nov. 1st. James Searles the Leeds pedestrian, completed 
in Liverpool the herculean task of walking 2,000 miles in as 
many consecutive half hours. He walked the last mile in 
seven minutes and a half. The task occupied six weeks. In 
order to support the physical strength and energy necessary 
to its accomplishment, the pedestrian svibsisted principally 
on animal food, of which he ate very largely. 6th. A 



THE SURilOL'XDlXG DISTRICT. ()21 

]^r)2.— Nov- 

veiy destructive tiro occurred oii tlie premises of the York 
-aud iSTorth Midland Railway compaDV, adjoining tlie wefit 
side of the liumber docks at Hull, which totally destroyed 
the Vr'hole range of buildings a hundred yards in length, to- 
gether Avitli a very large amount of property stored therein. 

About four o'clock on the morning of the 9tl'. (if Novem- 
ber, a visible shock of an eai-tho.uake v\Tis folt at Liverpool, 
Manchester, Chester, Shrewsbur}^ North Wales, &c. In 
some places the earth rocked in a violent luanner for about 
thirty seconds, and the motion was accompanied l<y a low 
moaning noise ; tliis Avas succeeded after an interval of a 
few seconds, by a violent tremor, which lasted about thirty 
seconds more. The rocking motion appeared to proceed 
from south west to north east. It was accompanied by a 
violent shaking of doors, windows, furniture, &c. 

17th. The first stone of the Leeds and Yorkshire assurance 
companies ofiices, at the junction of Albion-street, and 
Commercial-street, was laid by C. G. Maclea, Esq., chair- 
"man of the compan}^, in the presence of the directors, 
trustees and otiiers, (See Annals, page 315.) 

18th. Sta^e funeral of the Duke of ^U^elluigt(ui.—No event 
in m.odern times created such immense lamentation in Eng- 
land, as the death of His Grace the Duke of Welling-ton, 
which took place at Walmer Castle, on the 14th of Septem- 
ber, 1S52. A public funeral of the Duke was solemnized 
with grea,t pomi) on Thursday, the 18th day of November 
follovring. He vras interred with honours truly iiational, 
which were conducted by the go^'ernment — sanctioned by the 
legislature — partaken in by the Queen herself, and her hus- 
band — by all tlie high officers of State, the Church, the 
Army, the Na\y, and the representatives of Eui'0})ean 
Powers, and in fact by every class of the community. The 
day was marked by a general suspension of business in all 
the principal towns in the kingdom. At Leeds the civic and 
military authorities did honour to the illustrious Duke, by 
walking in procession from the Courthouse to the parish 
church, where a special service adapted for the occasion was 
celebrated, and an eloquent and impressive sermon was 
preached by the Rev. Dr. Hook, who took his text from the 
2nd of Chronicles, 32nd chapter, and 33i'd verse. Thou- 
sands of people assembled in the vicinity of the Court-house, 
and parish church, as well as the different streets through 
which the procession had to pass. The followdng was the 
order of procession : — 



622 AXNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1852.— Nov. 

Four Police Cor stables, 

The Royal Artillery Band, 

An escort of 80 of tho Royal Horse Artillery, 

Police 45 of the 6th Enniskilleu Dragoon!^, Police, 

Police Inspectors, 
The Chief Con^t^ible and Superintendent. 

The Mace Bearer, 
The Miiyor with his InsiirniLt of OtHce, 

Police, The Aldermen an-i iJoroujjh Justices, Police, 

The Ton-n Clerk, and Clerk to rlie Maiiistrates, and other oriicials 
of the Borough, 

Folic-, 200 of tlie 21.st Infantry, — ■ Police, 

The Yorkshire Huss.ir Ban I, and the Yorkshire Hussars. 

As tiie procession proceeded tliroiigli the streets, the ar- 
tillery baud played the ''Dead March in Saul." Every 
corner of tlie |)arish church was occupied, and thousands 
Avere unable to gain admission. Nearly the whole of the 
congregation were attired in mourning. 

Dec. 8th. The annual soiree of the Leeds Mechanics' In- 
stitute was held ir. the Mnsic-hall, under the distinguished 
presidency of the Rt. Hon. Lord John Russell, who deliver- 
ed a most ekxjuent speech. The ineeting was also honoured 
by the ]3resence, and addressed by the Rt. Hon. M. T. 
Baines, M.P., Robert Hall, Esq., Henry Cole, Esq. C.B. 
Professor Phillips, F. R. S. , the Rt. Hon. Lord Beaumont, 
the Rt. Hon. and very Rev. the Dean of Ripon, the Rev, 
Charles Wicksteel, Henry Pease, Esq., Darlington, George 
Cruikshank, Esq., Sir George Goodman, and E. Baines, 
Esq. In the fjrenoon of the following day at the Music-haU, 
the mayor in the presence of a very large audience, presented 
in the name of the town council, an address to Lord John 
Russell, expressive of respect, confidence, and admiration, 
in his conduct as a statesman, .tc. As a memorial of his 
lordshin's visit to Leeds, Lady Russell presented to the Insti- 
tute (Jan. 3rd, 1853,) through M. T. Baines, Esq., an 
engraving, which i^ a inost faithful and striking likeness of 
the nol:)le lord. His hu-dshi]^ is represented in the attitude 
of addressing the House of Commons, witli his right hand 
on his breast, and his left resting upon some papers near him. 
The painter is Mr. T. Cerrick, and the engraver Mr. S. 
Bellin. 

9th. The meinbers of the Leeds town council gave a din- 
ner at the White Horse Hotel, to J. H. Shavv-, Esq., mayor. 
Sir George Goodman, Kt., M.P., presided. On the same 
day a meeting convened by the mayor, v,'as held at the Court- 
house, to consider the propriety of originating a subscrip- 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 623 

1852.— Dkc. 

tion for the erection of some memorial to tlie late Duke of 
Wellington. It tv:\s decided to erect a bronze statue at an 

expense not exceeding £2,000. ICtli. The ministry of 

the Earl of Derl^y was defeated by a majority of nineteen, 
on the House Tax, proposed in the Chancellor of the Ex- 
chequer's Budget. About one o'clock in the afternoon 

of the 21st of December, an explosion took place in the 
ElescarLow Colliery, Hemingfield, near Barnsley, the proper- 
ty of Earl Fitzvrilliani. 130 men and boys vrere in the pit 
at the time, five of whom lost their livo^s. The explosion 
was supposed to have been caused by some of the men hawing 
removed the tops from their safety lamps, and worked with 

the naked flame. 25th. A dreadful hurricane burst 

forth on the eastern coast on Christmas night, doing im- 
mense damnge to property. By shipwrecks alone more than 
100 lives were lost. In point of severity and for extent of 
havoc, this hurricane had not been eqiia-Ued since that of 

1839. 29th. The guardians of the poor of the towi^ship 

of Leeds voted a congratulatory address to M. T. Baines, 
Esq. M.P., on his reappointment to the office of the poor 
law board. This appointment caused a vacancy in the rep- 
resentation of Leeds. On Monday the 3rd of January, 1853, 
in the coloured Cloth-hall yard, he was re-elected without 
opposition. John Hope Shaw, Esq., mayor, was the re- 
turning oflicer. Darnton Lupton, Esq. , proposed, and John 
Wilkinson, Esq., seconded his nomination, and no other 
candidates being proposed he was dechired duly elected. 

30th. The Town-hall committee crf the Leeds tovrn council 
met to decide upon the plans, for which premiums of £*2C0, 
£100, and £50, should be awarded. The committee in their 
deliberation had the benefit of the o]5inion of Sir Charles 
Barry, the euiinent architect employed in constructing the 
two Houses of Parliament. Tliere were altogether sixteen 
sets of plans sent in by that number of competitors. After 
a full consideration the committee determined to aM^ard the 
fii'st premium for plans to Mr. Cuthbert Brodrick, architect 
of Hull, a young man, form.erly ?„ pupil of IMessrs. Lock- 
wood and Mavv'son, of Bradford, who carried off the second 
prize. The third premium was awarded to Messrs. Young 
and Lovatt, of Wolverhampton. The committee appointed 
Mr. Broderick to be the architect of the building. 

1853. Jan. 8th. Thomas Wilkinson, a youth aged 10, who 
formerly resided with his parents at Wortiey, near Leeds, 
and who was convicted at York, in July 1851, of robbing 
and wounding, and sentenced to twenty years transportation, 



624 ^OTNALS OF LEEDS, YORK AXD 

1853. — Jan. 

committed suicide in Millbank prison, London, by cut- 
ting liis throat with a razor, during temporary insani- 
ty, brought on by separate confinement. 8th. Alfred 

Waddington, of Sheffield, was this day executed at York 
for having murdered his illegitimate child, twenty months 

old, on the 18th of August previously. On the 15th, 

James Barbour, of the same place was executed for the 
murder of Alexander Robinson, after having made a con- 
fession of his guilt. The scrutiny into the disputed 

election of poor law guardians for the North v/ard, at Leeds, 
was brought to a close on the 10th of January, having oc- 
cupied altogether fifteen days. The poor law board issued a 
report on the scrutiny on the 5th of Feb., following, in 
which they stated that the evidence brought before Mr. 1 
Farnell clearly showed that various errors had occurred in 
the computation of the voting pai3ers, caused by forgeries 
and alterations. It had also been proved by the testimony 
of witnesses, that certain voting papers though delivered to 
the proper collector, were nevertheless omitted in the calcu- 
lation of votes, through some cause which the evidence had 
not elucidated. The result of Mr. Farnell's investigation, 
as reported to the board was that the numbers should have 
been returned thus : — Broadhead 236, Linsley 235, Stead 177, 
Singleton, 166 ; and therefore that Messrs. Broadhead and 
Linsley, instea,d of Messrs. Stead and Singleton, ought to 
have been returned as guardians elected for tlie North ward. 
11th. A rule was granted in the Bail court before Mr. 
Justice Earl, calling upon Mr. Samuel Smith, of Leeds, to 
shew cause why a quo warranto informa,tion, should not be 
granted against him for exercising the oifice of to"vvn coun- 
cillor for Kirkgate ward. It appeared that Mr. Smith at the 
municipal election in Nov. previously, had been declared to 
be duly elected by a majority of one over Mr. Scholey, but 
that subsequintiy it was discovered that a burgess named 
Gamble had voted in the North-east ward, as well as in the 
Kirkgate ward for Mr Smith, thereby making the numbers 
polled for each candidate in the Kirkgate ward to be equal. 
Mr. Smith in Juue following formally resigned his office, 
but was re-elected at an extraordinary election on the Sth 
of July. 26th. A. H. Layard, Esq., M.P. for Ayles- 
bury, gave a lecture at the Music-hall, Leeds, on his dis- 
coveries at Nineveh, before the members of the Leeds 

Mechanics' and Literary Society. 29th. Died the lie v. 

Thomas Smith, late pastor of Nether chapel, Sheffield, and for 
thirty years classical tutor of Masbro' College, Botherham. 



THE SURKOUNDING DISTRICT. 625 

] 853— Tan. 

On Sunday the 30tli of January, the Emperor Napoleon 
III., was maiTied to Eugenie Montijo, Countess of Thebe, 
and daughter of Comte de Montijo of Spain. 

Feb. 3rd. The annual soiree of the Leeds Catholic Lit- 
erary Institution took place at the Music-hall, Cardinal 
"Wiseman in the chair. The meeting was addressed by the 
Cardinal, Joseph Lloldforth, Esq., the Rev, John "Walker, 
the Hon. Charles Langdale, and Sir Wilham Lawsou, Bart. 

9th. The Leeds toAvn council resolved by thirty three to 
four, to apply to parliament to grant them powers to make 
and sell gas ; aud at the same meeting it was also determined 
to petition parliament against the bill of the Leeds Old Gas 
Company, then before parliament, by which they were 

seeking for powers to enlarge their capital. 14th. From 

this day the museum of the Leeds Philosophical Society was 
opened to non-subscribers on payment of a penny each. 

The justices of York appointed a governor to the gaol at a 
salary of £100 ; the city council objected to the salary, saying 
£00 was sufficient, aud would not confirm the payment. The 
governor acting under the advice of the justices applied to 
the Queen's Bench, when it was decided "that the cnujicil 
have a concurrent power with the justices, and that if they 
think the salaries fixed by the justices are too hiijh, thej'- 
may refuse to confirm the orders for payment, the word 
*' confirm" in the act of parliament meaning " approve." 

16th. Lord Robert Grosvenor's bill for limiting the polling 
at county elections to one day, passed the House of Commons. 

16th. Died, aged 73 years, Morrison Scatcherd, Esq. , of 
Morley House, near Leeds. He was educated at Maiy-le- 
bone, and Hipperholme, and graduated at Cambridge, was 
intended for the bar, but did not follow that calliug. He 
lived in retirement all his life. He was passionately fond of 
music and antiquities, and made them his chief study and 
amusement. He was author of the History of Morley, 
Memoirs of Eugene Aram, kc, etc. He was a fellow of 

the Society of Antiquaries. 18th. Henry Dobson, a 

cabinet maker, residing at Wakefield, aged 27, cut the 
throat of a girl named Catherine Shearden, a dissolute per- 
son, living in the house of Ann Clough, generally known as 
" Farmer Ann," thereby causing her death. At the York 
assizes on the 17th of March he was tried and found guilty 
of murder, sentenced to dea,th, and was executed on the 9th 

of April. 18th. Died, aged 79 years, Mr. Henry 

Schroeder, of Leeds. He was born at Bawtree, in York- 
shire ; wrote Butterworth's IVIinors' Life, a work that was 

53 



G26 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1853.— Feb. 

once very popular, composed the old song, beginning " When 

first in London I arrived ; By the side of the brig that stands 

over the river ; If you ask where I came from I say the fell 

side, (fee. , (fee. " Shortly before his death he compiled the 

Annals of Yorkshire. 

19th. The newspapers of this date record a very heavy 
snow storm, accompanied with loss of life, whicli had con- 
tinued for nearly a week with great severity, and had been 
unequalled in this country for a many years. Most of the 
lines of railway were rendered impassable. The mail trains 
were blocked up, and in several instances they were not ex- 
tricated for twelve or more hours, and even then bags had to 
be conveyed by cross roads to their destination. Scarcely a 
county escaped the storm, and in places where the snow had 
drifted its depth was enormous, su(3h as cuttings and cross 
roads, to the extent of some twenty feet. The York and 
Scarborougli line was completely blocked up. The mail train 
Avhich should leave York for London at two o'clock, did not 
get away until eight o'clock, and even then made very slow- 
progress. Numerous gangs of men were employed in clear- 
ing the lines. Much inconvenience was occasioned to 

traffic. 21st. At a special meeting of the Leeds town 

council an additional grant of £10,000 was made, to carry 
out certain alterations in tlie Town-hall plans, 

24th. Died at her residence, Spring house, Bradford, in 
her 84th year, Mrs. Bacon, emiuentlj^ distinguished for her 
many priv^ate charities, and her liberal support of religious 
and philanthropic objects. The deceased made over to the 
trustees of the Independent academy then at Idle, very valu- 
able property at Uudercliffe and Fagley. On the property 
at Uudercliffe the present Airedale college was erected in 
1833, Some years later Mrs. Bacon gave a farther donation 
of £3,000 to the institution, which was with her sanction 
appropriated for the purpose of founding a professorship of 
moral philosophy. Amongst other donations she left by will 
to the British and Foreign Bible society, the London Mission- 
ary society, and the Home Missionary society, £1,000 each, 
and also the sum of £12,000 for the relief of aged and in- 
firm ministers, their ^vidows, and their unmarried daughters 
having reached the age of forty five years. 

About one o'clock on Monday morning the 28th of Feb- 
ruary, it was discovered that the fine old parish church, (St. 
George's) at Doncaster was on fire. About two o'clock the 
roof of the nave and the greater part of the west end of the 
building fell in with a tremendous crash, carrying along with 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICl'. G'27 

38o3.— Feb. 

it the fine perpeudiciilar window, considered by liickman 
one of the finest in England, and only within a few months 
filled with stained glass, at a cost of £600, in memory of 
Sir William Cooke, of Wheatley-hall, near Doncaster. 
Over the beautiful south porch was the church librarj', con- 
taining many rare and valuable ecclesiastical works, including 
a folio Polyglot Bible in fine preservation. This part of tlie 
building burnt from first to last with great brilliancy. About 
a quarter past two the south side of the roof of the chancel 
fell through. The lower part of the structure now became 
ignited, and the ilames were seen through the lower tier of 
windows, shootiug up towards the belfry floor. In a short 
time the belfry was in a blaze. About half past two the 
roof of the tower fell ea masse. The beautiful peal of eight 
bells weighing altogether about six tons, di"opped down one 
after another, or at least such portioiis as were not meltetl 
into the burning mass beneath. The parish registers and 
communion plate though much burnt were rescued. Every 
particle of the celebrated organ was consumed, worth at 
least £2,000, and said to be the finest in the county. In 
the short space of three hours, this extensive, antique, and 
handsome edifice, regarded as a type of parish cliurches of 
the perpendicular style — for centuries the piide and boast of 
Don caster — was totally destroyed. The total loss by the 
calamity was estimated a-t £70,000, The oldest portion of 
the edifice was built about the year 1070 ; the tower was re- 
ferred to the time of Henry III., and the nave to a somewhat 
earlier period. The church was in the form of a Latin crc ss, the 
length 154 feet, the breadth G8 feet, height of nave 78 feet, 
height of tovrer 141 feet. It was not known how the fire 
originated though it was ascribed to the overheating of the 
flues. The church was re-built at a cost of £50,000, and 
was finished in 1858. 

March 4th. At the Leeds Philosophical society's promen- 
ade, there was a very interesting exhibition of the works of 
artists connected with Leeds by birth or residence. More 
than 350 subjects were exhibited, and all collected within a 

week. 24th. The balance of the debt incurred on the 

rebuilding of the Leeds parish church, amounting to £31 
9s. 5d., was paid off" this day. 

Guardians of the Poor of the township of Leeds, elected 
April 5th, 1853 :— 

The names in brackets were elected. 

East, [Edrt'urd Barker 251, Henry Barker 2/0,] George Lumb 



628 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1853. — April. 

202, William Clarke 180. Kirkgate, [Edmund Stead 295, 

Robert Wright 294,] Charles Crabtree 256, William Sadler 252. . 

Mill-Hill, [John Wi'son 543, Thorn is Jowett Wilkinson 533, 
John Smith 528,] Richard Stead 406, Leonard Hick.s 399, WUiara 

Booth 424, Peter Law Atkinson 26. JN'orth, [Joseph Linsley 

481, Robert Meek C;.rter 4/],] William Wray 293, Nathaniel Sharpe 

288, North- Kast, [Thomas Bramfit 316, Tho-has Cordinj^lty, 

315.] Samuel Lavvson 314, Thomas D.uvkins 309. North West, 

[Uavid iNVuton531, Enoch Darke 503,] Alfred Brii^i? 318, Thomas 

Kuyston 29 1 . SoiTTh, [Huicliinson Gresham 230, Richard Gardner, 

230,] I'homas Headland, 54 Wdliam Chadwick, 74. West, 

[ i'homas Wiliineton George 996, John Botterill 955, James Rertitt 
964.] Henry Crawshaw 4/4. Hutchin.'son Gresham was elected 
chairman. 

April 12th. A committee of lunacy investigated the mental 
condition of Mr. Feargus O'Connor, formerly a popular 
chartist leader, and decided " that he was of unsound mind 
a,nd was incapable of managing his affairs." The object of 
the enc^uiry was to secure the protection of the Court of 
Chancery of Mr, O'Connor's property, amounting to £1,400 
for his future maintenance. The lunacy was dated from the 
10th of June, 1852, the day on which he was committed to 
the custody of the serjeant-at arms by the House of Com- 
mons. 21st. The election of a member to represent the 

borough of Huddersfield in parliament, in the place of Mr. 
Stansfeld, unseated on petition, took place this day. The 
result of the poll was : — Lord Goderich 675, Joseph Starkey, 
Esq. 593, 

May 4th. As some workmen were engaged in excavating 
for a brancli drain from the spirit vaults of Messrs, Myers, 
at corner of Kirkgate, Briggate, Leeds, they turned up a 
quantity of old coins, all silver except one which was gold. 
Altogether there were as many coins as would fill a quartern 
measure. The silver coins consisted of groats, half groats, 
and pennies, mostly of the reign of Edward IV., a few of 
the reign of Richard II. , and the solitary gold coin was of 

the Anglo-Gallic period. 5th. Died at Micklefield, 

Yorkshire, aged 107 years, William Hurst, a farm labourer 
up to the time of his death ; his memory was unimpaired, 
and he could read a newspaper without glasses, 

10th. A copious shower of snow fell in Leeds and the 
neighbourhood. At Ilkley on the same day the hills were 
CO veered by their winter garb. At Huddersfield, Holmfirth, 
and Barnsley, it was the heaviest snow storm that was ever 
known by the oldest inhabitant to have fallen at this season 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 629 

1853— May. 

of the year, and was certainly by far the heaviest that had 
occurred there for a number of years at any season. 

On the night of the 5th of May between eleven and twelve 
o'clock, an engine ran off the York and North Midhmd line 
at Brayton, near Selby, causing the deaths of John Thomp- 
son, the engine driver, and Joseph Sykes, the stoker. The 
coroner's jury returned a verdict of manslaughter against the 
Directors of the company, they being of opinion that the 
accident was caused either by a defect in the engine or the 
line. Harry Stephen Thompson, George Hick Seymour, 
and Samuel Priestman three of the directors, were tried at 
the York summer assizes for manslaughter, when the jury 
returned a verdict of not guilty.- 16th. A public meet- 
ing was held at the Court-house, Leeds, John Hope Shaw, 
Esq., in the chair, to petition parliament in favour of 
closing public houses and beershops during the whole of 
Sunday, and on the 2nd of June a meeting of the licensed 
victuallers, malsters, and spirit merchants of Leeds was 
held at the Stock Exchange, Mr, William Swale in the chair, 
to take into consideration the movement against the closing 
of public houses on the whole of the day on Sundays, and 
and other matters affecting the licensed victuallers. 

On the evening of the 16th of May, a destructive fire oc- 
curred at Messrs. Wood and Walker's old mill, Mancliester- 
road, Bradford. The fire commenced in the top story, and 
that, and the story below being occupied by looms with 
cotton vvarps (54 spinning frames and 150 looms,) the fire 
made rapid progress, and in less than an hour the wliole was 
one ma^s of flames. The three lower floors were arched 
brick work and fire proof, so that they sustained very little 
injury. The morning after the lire a number of people were 
set to work to remove the rovings out of the spinning frames 
in the three rooms, which were in danger of spoiling from 
the water which dripped through from above. About a 
quarter past eight o'clock, when all idea of danger had 
passed away, something fell upon the brick floor over the 
third story which caused it to give way, and in its fall in- 
stantaneously broke down the floors beneath, the whole 
falling in one huge mass of ruin. The alarm was dreadful. 
Immediate steps were taken to rescue the men who were 
buried beneath the rubbish. Six men were conveyed to the 
infirmary alive, though seriously injured, namely John 
Barbary, George Scholey, John Ellis, R(,l>. rt Miliar, Koberfc 
■ Dobson, and Henry Gibson. Others went to their own 
homes with considerable injuries on them. When all were got 



630 ANIMALS OF LEEDS, YORK AND 

1 853. —May. 

out that could be seen, four unfortunate men were missing, 
for whose lives there could be no hope. As soon as the mass 
of rubbish could be cleared away their bodies were found, 
the men being quite dead. The names of these men were 
Samuel Butler, Thomas Hutchinson, Richard Killerby, and 
William Jennings. No cause could be assigned for the origin 

of the fire. — 18th. At the council meeting of the Society 

of Arts, the report of the judges on the essays sent in, in 
competition for the special prize offered by the society " for 
the best Essay on the History and Management of Literary, 
Scientific, and Mechanics' Institutions ; and especially how 
far, and in what manner they may be developed and com- 
bined, so as to promote the well being and industry of the 
country, " was read, and the prize awarded to the author of 
the essay with the motto " Nemo labori Musas vetat." Mr. 
James Hole, of Leeds, honorary secretary to the Yorkshire 
Union of Mechanics' Institutes was the successful competitor. 
2J:th. The first stone of the new catholic church on Rich- 
mond-hiU, Leeds, was laid by Dr. Briggs, Roman, catholic 
Bishop of Beverley, The site was named Mount St. Mary, 
and the building designated '' The church of the Immacu- 
late Virgin Mary. " When completed it will be one of the 
most remarkable places of worship in the town. It was 
ojDened in its. present state in July, 1857. The original plans 
were drawn by Mr. Hanson, of Preston, but the erection 
has since been entrusted to Mr. W, Wardell, of London. 
The building is chiefly of stone, and is in the style of 
the early period of decorated Gothic. When finished, the 
edifice is to contain two massive western towers, north and 
south transepts, two spacious sacristies, a choir, (with 
double choir aisles on each side) a lady chapel eastward of 
the choir, and eight chapels of other dedications, some of ^ 
which, opening from the south aisles, are at present used as 
temporary sacristies. The altar is at present fitted up in the 
chancel. The leng-th of the nave is about 128 feet ; but, 
when finished, the church will extend to a length of 210 feet, 
and the breadth at the transept will be 100 feet. The roof 
is carried to a height of 82 feet. In the north aisles of the 
nave are five confessionals, each forming a small apartment 
lighted from the outside. A cloister runs along this side of 
the church, which will comm\inicate with the future monas- 
tery, to be erected at the west end. It is also contemplated 
to build a convent for the Sisters Oblates of Mary Immacu- 
late. 30th. The Leeds town council after a lengthened 

and spirited debate, passed a resolution by twenty two 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 631 

1853.— May. 

agaiust eleven, '' to petition parliament not to pass the edu- 
cation measure recently proposed by Lord John Russell. " 
On the f oUomng day a meeting of the members of ' ' the 
Yorkshire society for promoting National Education," was 
held at the Court-house, J. H. Shaw, Esq. in the chair, 
when a resolution was passed to the effect ' ' that this societ}'-, 
though not pledging itself to full concurrence with all the 
details of the educational bill now before parliament, is so 
convinced of the necessity of extending and improving the 
means of education of the people, and especially so much 
approves of the principle of l(>cal raiiiuj iu aid of schools, 
that it hereby expresses its support of the bill as a tentative 
and preparatory measure." Petitions founded on the above 
resolutions were presented to both houses of parliament. 

June. At this time " the table turning mania " was at its 
height. A magnetic influence was said to be communicable 
by men to inanimate objects, such as hats, tables, cfec, 
which caused those objects to revolve without any muscular 
effort. The usual plan of experimenting was for a number 
of men or women to form a circle round a table, — ^join their 
hands at the little fingers, and rest them slightly on the edge 
of the table. In a short time the table would begin to turn 
round, not from any muscular pressure, but as obeying some 
unknown influence, supposed to flow from the circle of human 
beings. When the motion commenced, the persons forming 
the circle kept their hands joined on the table whilst it was 
moving, and moved round with it, they were not conscious 
of pushing it, or gi"VTng it any impulse, but felt as if it 
moved sj^ontaneously under their hands ; and sometimes the 
motion was sufficiently rapid as to cause dizziness. Whether 
the phenomenon was a real or imaginary one, it was a great 
deal believed in by all classes of the community, and indeed 
very nearly turaed the heads of hundreds. 

The local artists and lovers of art in Leeds, formed at this 
time a public exhibition of modern works of art, styled 
" The Leeds Academy of Arts." The aggregate value of 
the paintings exhibited was said to be upwards of £20,000. 

The exhibition was open three months. 13th. A public 

meeting of the inhabitants of Leeds was held in the coloured 
Cloth-hall-yard, to consider the bill then before parliament 
for the promotion of education in cities and boroughs in 
England. J. H. Shaw, Esq., mayor, opened the proceed- 
ings. J. G. Marshall, Esq. moved a resolution in favour of 
national education, which was seconded by the Rev. William 



632 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

185:i— Junk. 

Guest. Mr. Alderman Carbutt moved an amendment against 
the bill, which was seconded by the E-ev. G. W. Conder. 
The Rev. S. li. Hall mov«^d a resolution approving of the 
principle of local rating in the government bill, which was 
seconded by Mr. IsTunneiey, (surgeon). Dr. Lees and Mr. 
Councillor Carter spoke in favour of the original motion, 
and Mr. Thomas Flint, and Alderman Wilson in favour of 
the amendment, after which the mayor called for a show of 
hands, first for the amendment, and then for the original 
motion. The mayor declared the amendment carried, and 
signed petitions to both houses of parliament, expressing 
the decision of the meeting. 

On Sunday the 19th of June, about noon, a storm passed 
over the town of Skipton, which very much injured the 
parish church. The electric fluid struck the south west pin- 
nacle of the church, causing it to fall with a tremendous 
crash. The estimated weight of the pinnacle which fell was 
a ton and a half. It was broken into splinters. One large 
piece being carried a considerable distance fell near the 
Castle Inn, and broke part of the causeway. Another 
portion of the pinnacle nearly a ton weight dropped down 
upon the flags in the yard, breaking them and embedding 
itself in the ground. The accident occurred just before the 
close of the mornings service, and the congregation were so 
alarmed by it that they rushed out of the building without 
their hats and in the greatest f«3ar. 

30th. Died, aged 36, Mr. William Brook, of Swinegate, 
Leeds, well known as a leader of the Chartist party in the 
town. He represented Holbeck ward for six years in the 
town council, and for a longer period was a member of the 
board of highway surveyors. He was interred at the Wood- 
house cemetery where his friends have erected to his memory 
a beautiful monument of Gothic design, twenty eight feet 
high, bearing the following inscription : — 

" Sacred to the memory orWilliam Brook, of Leeds, born September 
11th, 1K16, died June 30th, 1853, who, durinjr a series of years labour- 
ed zealously iti the full confidence of' his honesty of purpose in the 
promotion and elevation of social order, and for the political ad- 
vancement of bis fellowmen ; disihargins: honourably and faithfully the 
duties incumbent upon the responsi])]e public offices of improvement 
com mis.si oner, to^vn councillor, poor-law guardian, and highway sur- 
veyor, with a fidelity, ability, and economy rarely equalled. This 
monument is erected by his friends and admirers in exemplification of 
departed worth." 

July 7th. The Leeds town council resolved to purchase a 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 633 

1853.— July. 

piece of land lying between North-street and Camp -road, 
for a sum not exceeding £5,200, "to be used in future as a 
cattle market, it being intended to remove tbe cattle fair 
from Kirkgate market as suggested by a committee of the 
house of commons." The first cattle market was held on the 

new site on Wednesday the 13th of July. 22nd. Out of 

fifty estimates for the erection of the Leeds Town-hall, the 
committee accepted that of Mr. Samuel Atack, bricklayer 

and builder, Leeds, amounting to £±1,835. The band 

of the 2Sth regiment played on Woodhouse moor, Leeds, 
on every alternate Wednesday and Saturday evenings. 

23rd. A very sad aflair occurred on the premises of Mr. 
Henry Barker, plumber, Kirkgate, Leeds. It seems that 
a quarrel had taken place between an apprentice named 
Peter Dawson, and a journeyman named Wallace Waddiug- 
ton, which terminated in the death of the latter, caused by 
Dawson striking him a violent blow over the head v.dth a 
long brush. Dawson was committed to the assizes on a 
charge of manslaughter, and sentenced to three months im- 
prisonment. 

25th. About two hundred operative joiners and carpenters 
of Leeds, struck work for an advance of wages. At the 
same time there was a strike of the cab men in London, and 
of the police at Hull. 

August 4th. The Rev. James Collier, Wesleyan minister 
in the first Leeds circuit, seceeded from the connexion, from 
a conviction that he could not honestly administer Wes- 
leyan discipline, or acknowledge the authority claimed by 
the conference. 

ITth. The first stone of the Leeds Town-hall, was laid by 
John Hope Shaw, Esq, in the presence of a vast concourse 
of spectators. The day was made one of popular enjoj^ment. 
The ceremony was attended by the magistrates and town 
council, the members of most of the other boroughs in the 
West-Riding, the vicar, the architect, the town clerk and 
other officials, the military officers stationed in thetoA^aj, the 
committees of the Philosophical society and Mechanics' In- 
stitution, the guardians of the poor, a great number of pro- 
fessional men, merchants, and tradesmen, and the members 
of several societies and orders. The whole formed a process- 
ion of enormous length, and was enlivened with banners and 
the music of military and other bands. ISIr. Alderman 
Hepper, the chairman of the Town-hall committee com- 
menced the proceedings by asking the mayor to lay the 
foundation stone, and presented to him a richly embossed 



634 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1853 —Aug. 

silver trowel, with an ivory handle, and a mallet made of 

polished oak, with silver mountings, bearing the following 

inscription : — 

" Presente^l to John Hope Sh;iw, Esq., the tnaror of Leeds, on 
behalf of the council of the borough, .by Mr. Alderman Hepper, 
chairman of the To-vn-liaij committee, on the occasion of laying the 
foundation stone of the Town-hall, IJth August, 1853." 

The mayor then took the trowel and mallet, and assisted 
by the architect and contractor proceeded to lay the first 
stone, at the south west corner of the new building. First, 
was deposited in a cavity in the stone a bottle hermetically 
sealed, containing specimens in gold and silver only, of the 
several current coins of the realm, from a sovereign to a 
penny, (except a 5s. piece, which conld not be obtained of 
the present reign,) a copy of the Leeds Merciirj^, tlie Leeds 
Intelligencer, and the Leeds Times, published on the 13th ; 
a list of the members of the council, of the several com- 
mittees, and of all the officials of the to'wn council, and a 
copy on vellum of the inscription on the plate, provided to 
cover the cavity in the foundation stone. Over the cavity 
was placed a brass plate which was covered with melted wax 
to keep it air tight. The brass plate bore the following in- 
scription, engraved by Mr. Topham, Boar-lane : — 

" The corner stone of this To'vn-h.ill. erectCvl by th? mayor, alder- 
men atid burees.ves of the borough of Leeds, vva.s laid on the 17th of 
Augu.st, 18.')3, in the sixteenth ye.ir ol' the reign of Queen V'ictoria, 
by John Hope Shaw, R-sq., m lyor. 

Bni[-Di\GCoMMi!TKK ^ — Chairman. — Alderman William Flepper. 
AUhrrmm ; — fohn Wilson, Jolin Darnton Luccock, William Kel- 
sall, Charle.s Gascoigne Maclea, Fraticis Carbutt, Comicil/ors ; — 
Richard P,issington, John Marshall, George Brook, John Ardill, 
David Newton, Joshui Gar.sed Heaps, Jo.seph Broadhead, John 
Crov.sdaK\ William Kettlewell, James Smitli, Robert Meek Tarter, 
William Illingworth, John roister. Georire Skirrow Betcioft, Robert 
White. Toum Clerk: — John Arthur Ikin. ArchiU-ci -.—Cuthhert 
Brodrick." 

T]ie contractor having placed the mortar on the stone, the 
mayor spread it with his silver trowel, and the upper stone 
w^as lowered upon the one containing the deposit ; his wor- 
ship next applied the plumb line and S(iuare to level it, and 
then striking it with his elegant mallet three times, said : — 
''Thus, and thus, and thus, I lay the foundation stone of 
the new Town -hall of Leeds ; and may God prosper the un- 
dertaking." At the conclusion of this ceremony the vast 
audience signified their approbation by a loud unanimous 



THE SURROtTNDIXG DISTRICT. 635 

1853.— Aug. 

burst of applause, ivliicli was caught up by the masses out- 
side, aud the ch'^ers v^-ere re-echoed through the surrounding 
streets, and by the crowds on the tops of the buildings. The 
madrigal and motet society then sxuig the following chorus, 
the music of wliich had been compo.sed by Mr. Spark for 
the occasion : — 

'' A blessing we ask on the work now begun, 
May it prosper in doing — be useful when done : 
May the Hall Avhose foundations thus broadly are laid, 
Stand a trophy to Freedom — to Peace, and to Trade ; 
While within it, may Honour for ever preside 
Over those whom opinion may chance to divide : — 
And in ages to come may the fabric v>'e rear. 
Be greeted, by men yet unborn, with a cheer. 
May Justice and Mercy, enthroned in the Law, 
Here the innocent shield — keej) the g^iilty in awe : — 
May our councils be governed by wisdom and right, 
And be open as day, and as pure as its light. 
After labour is sped, here the " million " may throng. 
To be soothed and refined by the spirit of Song. 
Thus in ages to come, shall the faliric we rear 
Be greeted, by men yet unborn, with a cheer. " 
The maj'-or then addressed the autUence and was followed 
by the Rev. Dr. Hook, the late venerable Henry Hall, Esq. 
(who had joined in the ceremony of laying tlie foundation 
stone of the Court-house, forty two years before,) and Ed- 
ward Baines. Esq. , after which the mayor and guests, in- 
cluding the borough members, with the members of the 
tovv^n council and other gentlemen, dined together at the 
Music-hall, and the several bands repaired to Woodhouse 
moor attended by an immense concourse of people, estimated 
at more than 60,000. The festivities of the day concluded 
by a display of fireworks on Woodhouse moor. 

22nd, A public meeting of the retail tradesmen of Leeds, 
convened by the mayor was held at the Court-house, in favour 
of tiie early closing of their shops. The meeting pledged 
itseK to close retail business at eight o'clock in summer and 

seven in winter. 29th. A very exciting race for £100 

was ran at West-hill Park, Halifax, betv/een Isaac Hem- 
ingway of Leeds, and Jolm Whittiugham of Bradford, both 
celebrated runners. The race after a very severe struggle 
was won by Whittingham. 

31st. The opening of St. George's-hall, Bradford, was 
ceiebrp.ted by a grand musical festival, under the leadership 



636 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 
1853.— Aug. 

of Mr. Costa, of the Hoyal Italian Opera. The principal 
vocalists were Madame Clara Novello, Miss Louisa Pyne, 
Mrs. Lockey, Mrs. Sunderland, Miss Freeman, and Madame 
Castellan. Mr. Sims Reeves, Mr. Lockey, Signor Gardoni, 
Signor Tagliafico, Mr. Weiss, and Herr Formes. The or- 
chestra was perhaps the most complete and eflFective ever 
collected together in the north of England. It consisted in all 
of eighty six executants, selected from the renowned orches- 
tras of the Covent garden Italian opera, and the Philarmonic 
society. The chorus was numerous, remarkably efficient, 
and well balanced, having about fifty five voices to each 
part — trebles, altos, tenors, and basses, chiefly selected from 
the neighbouring choirs and choral societies of Leeds, Hud- 
dersfield, Bradford, Halifax, York, Manchester, <fcc., <fec. 
Mr. William Jackson, of Bradford, was the chorus master ; 
Mr. Brownsworth of London, organist ; and Mr. Costa, 
conductor. The entire orchestra contained nearly 350 per- 
formers. The performance commenced on Wednesday morn- 
ing, the 3.1st of August, with the national anthem sung by 
the principal singers and chorus, followed by Mendelssohn's 
*'St. Paul." After the oratoria, the Hallelujah chorus from 
Beethoven's '' Mount of Olives " was sung by way oi finale. 
The concert in the evening consisted of an excellent selection 
of secular music ; the most attractive perhaps being the 
finale to the opera " Loreby," by Mendelssohn. On Thurs- 
day morning was performed the " Messiah, "and on Thursday 
evening was performed a miscellaneous selection of vocal and 
instrumental music, the main attraction being Mendelssohn's 
gorgeous symphony in A minor. The other principal instru- 
mental piece v/as Beethoven's overture to " Leonora." The 
programme of Friday morning's performance was an ex- 
ceedingley attractive one, including as it did, a manuscript 
Credo by Mendelssohn, this being the first time of its per- 
formance, having being presented to the festival committee 
by the representatives of the late composer ; the greater part 
of Haydn's " Creation," and in the second part a baptismal 
anthem by Signor Costa, and in addition to all this a great 
portion of Handel's magnificent oratorio " Israel in Egypt." 
The main attraction of the Friday evening's performance 
(the final concert) was Mendelssohn's music to "A Midsum- 
mer Night Dream," Rossini's overture to " Guillaume Tell," 
Beethoven's symphony in C minor. The scene at the con- 
clusion, when the principal vocalists came forward to sing, 
with the full power of the band, chorus, and organ, "God 
save the Queen " was indescribably grand and imi)osing ; it 



THE SURROUNDIXG DISTRICT. {)37 

1853 _ A va. 

was indeed an appropriate and magnificent termination to 
one of the most STiecesshil mnsical festivals ever given 
in England. 

Descri^MDH of the Buildiag : — The hall was erected under 
the direction of a committee of shareholders, at the head of 
which was Samuel Smith, Esq., the maja^r. The site of the 
building is at the junction of Hall Ings with Bridge-street. 
It is bv.ilt of stone and covers an area of about 1,600 square 
3^ards. The west and south elevations present a rusticated 
basement story, twenty seven feet high, surmounted by 
Corinthian pillars and pilasters supporting the entablature. 
The western or principal front is seventy live feet in height 
to the apex of the pediment. The rusticated basement stoiy 
contains five entrance doors, the three centre ones leading 
to the gi-eat hall, and the other two to the rooms below. 
On each side of the centre door are niches for bronze can- 
delabra. The lower part of the intercolumniations is filled 
up with windows, and the upper with circular shields sur- 
mounted by wreaths of oak leaves. The basement story on 
the south consists of a large room used as a resfanraiit for 
the accommodation of mercantile men, the windows are deeply 
recessed and between them are festoons of fruit and flowers 
beautifully carved. The long row of Corinthian pillars above 
this .story is relieved by eight large arched windows, corres- 
poniiing to eight others on the north side of the building, 
through which in the day time the gi^eat hall receives its 
light. Besides the large room on the basement story are 
also kitclicn vaults and other rooms. Over the vestibule is 
a spacious refreshment room handsomely fitted up ; imd out- 
side the spacious coiridor which runs round the large hall 
are cloak rooms, retiring rooms, A-c. The full dimensions 
of the great luili are 152 feet by 76, and the extreme height 
in the centre of the ceiling, which is arched, GO feet. The 
floor however is diminished by about 13 feet on each side in 
order to provide on the north a promenade room, and on the 
south sundry cloak, retiring, and other rooms. By this 
means the open area on the floor is reduced to 96 feet by 
49 ; which however is more than compensated for by the 
erection at a height of 12 feet only, of an overhanging 
gallery on three sides of the hall, which is supplied with five 
rows of stalls at the west end, and four rovrs on each side, 
all fitted up with ever\^ regard to comfort and elegance. 
Aroimd this gallery runs a spacious corridor, having at tlie 
west end three, and at each side three doors for entrance and 
exit. Over the first L'-alleiy for stalls and over the entire 

54 



638 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1853— Aug. 

corridor is a second gallery also carried round three sides, 
and of immense capacity ; the west end containing 20 rows 
oi seats, and the two sides six rows each. The hall then 
consists of area, stalls, and upper gallery ; the first which 
is supplied with comfortable backed seats will accommodate 
about 1,000 people ; the second will furnish 540 stalls ; and 
the third or upper gallery will seat about 1,600 persons ; or 
altogether 3,140 persons. The orchestral part which is at 
the eastern end of the hall is semicircular in form, with a 
diameter of 49 feet. On each side of the orchestra are Cor- 
inthian pilasters, springing from the platform and supporting 
the entablature. The space above the cornice is covered and 
divided into panels, ornamented with a deep border of vines, 
ivy leaves, fruit and flowers. The ceiling is divided into four 
compartments by borders of flowers and scroll work, with 
central ornaments of a very finished description and designed 
with great taste. Behind the orchestra are seven rooms for 
the use of the performers, with three separate entrances 
for the priDcipals, the chorus singers, and the instrumental 
performers on each side. Communicating with these rooms 
are also performers' boxes, one on each side of the orchestra, 
by which those occupying the green rooms for the moment 
may witness what is going on in the hall, Avithout having to 
enter the orchestra. At night, the hall is lighted by a con- 
tinuous line of gas jets, (1750 in number) from pipes carried 
entirely round on the upper surface of the cornice. The 
ventilation of the hall is eflected by circular apertures pierced 
through the exterior mouldings of the outer border of the 
ceiling, continued all round the room, the heated air es- 
caping through openings in the roof. The interior decora- 
tions are highly ornamental and executed in the best style. 
The architects of the building were Messrs. Lockwood and 
Mawson of Bradford. The organ was built by Mr. Holt of 
Bradford, and is a magnificent instrument possessing a firm 
tone and great power. 

Sept. 3rd. Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe from the United 
States of America, the authoress of " Uncle Tom's Cabin," 
paid a short visit to Leeds, previous to departing for America. 
She was the guest of Edward Baines, Esq. of Headingley, 
at whose house a testimonial from the ladies of Leeds, to- 
gether with an address from the Leeds Anti- Slavery Associa- 
tion was presented to her. The mayor John Hope Shaw, 
Esq. presided. Mr. Wilson Armistead the president of the 
Leeds Anti-Slavery Association read the address. The late 
Sir George Goodman, M.P., had the honour of presenting 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 639 

]853.— Sept 

the ladies testimonial. The inscription on the basket con- 
taining it was as follows : — 

•< Pre.-ented bv a few ladies to Harriet Beecher Stone, the friend of 
the Slave." [This iv;i.s follo.ved by the Lee.ls Arm<s.] •' The readeis 
of Unci ' Tom's Cabin place ^'100 in the ha.sket a-s an offering of 
gratitude Leeds September .Srd, 1853." " The T.ord bless tbee and 
keep thee." — Numbkrs vi, 24. " The Lord grant thee according to 
thine own heart, and fulfil all thy counsel." — PsaLMS xx, 4. 

19th. A dreadful boiler explosion took place on the premises 
of Messrs. George Hammond and Son, flax spinners, Low- 
fold mills, Bank, Leeds, which resulted in the death of six 
persons, and serious injury to several others. The persons 
killed were Thomas Hamilton, Jane Middleton, Ann Mac- 
donald, Martin Fleming, George Procter, and Rose M' 
Nally. The coroners jury decided that the explosion wa:?* 
caused by the boilers and their fittings being constructed on 
a dangerous principle, and that they were Avorked at too 
high a pressure. 

20th. The opening celebration of the gigantic factory and 
extensive works for the manufacture of alpaca and mohaii* 
fabrics, of Titus Salt. Esq., at Saltaire, took place this 
day, and consisted of a splendid entertainment at the works, 
provided by the proprietor, a dance in the meadows, and a 
concert in St. George's Hall, Bradford, in the evening. 
Luncheon was provided by Mr, Wilks, of the White Horse 
Hotel, Leeds, for no less than 3,750 persons, includmg in- 
vited guests, workpeople, police, musicians, 6zc. The bill 
of fare included a barun of beef weighing 3001bs, four hind 
quarters of beef, 40 chines of beef, 120 veal and ham pies, 
120 legs of mutton, 100 dishes of lamb, 40 hams, 40 tongues, 
50 pigeon pies, 50 dishes of roast chicken and turkey pouts, 
20 dishes of roast ducks, 30 brace of grouse, 30 brace of 
partridges, 50 dishes of potted meats of various kinds, lob- 
sters and lobster salads, gelatines of turkey and veal, 320 
plum puddings, 100 dishes of tartlets and lemon cheese- 
cakes, 100 dishes of jelieys, blanc-mauge, pastry, Stilton 
cheese, 6zc. : altogether two tons weight of meat ; 1^ tons 
of potatoes were supplied. The desert consisted of pines, 
grapes, melon.s, peaches, nectarines, apricots, filberts, wall 
nuts, apples, pears, biscuits, sponge cakes, kc. The area 
of the Saltaire mill, is computed at six and a half acres, while 
the several floors in the mills, warehouses, and sheds form 
a superfices of nearly thirteen acres. The mill runs from 
east to west, being 550 feet in length, and 72 feet in height 
above the level of the rails. It includes six stories and is 



640 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1853.~Skpt. 

constructed of massive stone work in the boldest; style of 
Italian arcliitecture. The frono presents a handsome fayade, 
with three large arched entrances, above which are rows of 
six windows ; and in each wing rows of twenty two windows 
for lighting the engine houses and the stories above. The 
wool combing sued on the west side of the mill measures 210 
feet by 112, and is covered by a hollow girder roof, support- 
ed by lifty iron pillars. Tlie weaving shed is on the eastern 
;.ide of the mill, with a similar roof to the combing shed, 
supported by sixty five cast iron pillars ; its dimensions com- 
prise an area of 8,400 yards, and it will holl 1,200 looms. 
The engines to drive the works are of beautiful design, and 
consist of two pairs, nominally of 400 horse power, but 
capable of being worked up to the extent of 1,250 horse 
power. Some idea of the magnitude of these vast machines 
may be gathered from the fact, that the engine bed absorbed 
upwards of 2,400 tons of solid stone. The large chimney at 
the south east corner of the mill is 250 feet high with a base 
■ of 18 square feet. The boiler house contains eight boilers. 
. Tiie Gas works are to the north east between the canal and 
the river. The gasometer is 60 feet in diameter and 18 feet 
deep, and is calculated to supply 100,000 feet per day for 
5,000 lights. The works employ 4,500 hands. Mr, Salt has 
since erected 700 dwelling-houses, replete with every con- 
venience requisite for the health and comfort of the inhabit- 
ants, a covered market, schools, and a place of worship. 

29th. Mr. Alderman Sidney (of the firm of Sidney and 
Stables, Leeds,) was elected Lord mayor of London. 

30th. At a special meeting of the Leeds town council, a 
motion by Mr. Alderman Hepper granting £7,000 for the 
erection of a tower to the Town-hail, which had also being 
recommended by the Town-hall committee, was rejected by 
twenty seven votes against twenty. 

On Tuesday evening the 4th of October, one of the most 
terrific and destructive fires that ever occurred in York- 
shire took place at Halifax. The scene of the disaster was 
Lee mill, the property of Messrs. Whitwortli and Co., con- 
sisting of a large mill six stories high, extensive warehousing 
live stories high, and a capacious weaving shed, the whole of 
which were destroyed. The loss was estimated at from 
£60,000 to £70,000. The fire commenced um the fifth story 
of the mill, and v\^as supposed to have been caused by the 
spontaneous combustion of a quantity of waste. 

Oct. 5th. The negociations with the Earl of Hare wood for 
. a continuance of the supply of water from the river Wharfe 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 641 

1853.— Oct. 

having failed, in consequence of his lordship's solicitors 
asking a compensation of £1,000 a year. The Leeds town 
council decided to remove the pipes, engine, and other plant. 

10th. The new law on receipt stamps (16 and 17 Vic. c. 
59) came into operation this day, by Avhicb all receipts for 
the payment of £2 and upwards required a pennj^ stamp, 
which might be impressed upon the paper, or an adhesive 

stamp affixed thereto. 24th. Miss Mary Fisher, well 

known in Leeds as a public singer and teacher of music, aged 
35 years, committed suicide by hanging herself in her 
mother's house. Clay-pit-lane. The unfortunate woman is 
.said to have committed the rash act, in consequence of a 

disappointment in love. A beautiful font carved in 

Caen stone worked by Mr. Robert Mawer, of Leeds, was 
munificently presented to the church of St. Mark, at Wood- 
house, by Mr. Alderman Maclea. The character of the work 
is that of the perpendicular period of Gothic architecture. 
The several panels of the octagonal basin are decorated with 
religious emblems in high relief, the bases of the intersect- 
ing mouldings between the pauels being supported by angels 
with wings expanded, and holding tablets on shields. The 
basin is mounted on a suitable stem, and elevated on a base 
of steps. Under the lip of the basin the font is encircled 
with a simple inscription, decUcating the gift to the glory of 
God by the benevolent donor, and the inscription is cut in 
projecting letters of medieval character, lying on an under- 

face of beautifully carv'ed foliage. 31st. At a special 

meeting of the Leeds to^vn council it was decided " to give 
notice and take preliminary steps to enable the council to 
apply to parliament, during the next session of parliament 
for powers to obtain an adcUtional supply of water for Leeds, 
from the district drained by the rivers Wharf e and Skirfare. " 
This resolution was confirmed at an adjourned meeting of 
the council on the 14th of November. The Bradford Water- 
works company had given similar parliamentary notices to 
obtain water from the same source. 

LEEDS MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS, November 1st, 1853. 
Those in brackets were elected. 

Mill-Hill, [Obadiah Nussey, L, 20/, John Barran, L, 191,] 
John Pyem nt, C, 160 Wbst, [T. W. George, L, and John Pat- 
terson, R.] NoaiH- West, [David Newton, R, 247,] Alfred 

Bri;?gfi,C,86. ^'oRTH, [John Kaye, L.j North- East, [James 

Phillips, C, 366,"' John Chadwick, L, 282, John Wadsworth, L, 121. 
-East, [William Wray, C, 400,] John Crovsdale, L, 353. 



642 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

J 851— Nov. 

KiaKGATB, [Richarrl Stead, C, 230,] VViHi;im TCetth-vell, L, 201. 

*=OTTTH, [John Neill, L.l Hunslet, [John Williamson, C, 

558,] J. C. Barrett L, 357. Holbkck. [Robert Meek Carter, 

R, 1547, Robert Coxon, Fl, 1,126,] R. L Armstrong, L, 725. > 

BttAMLKY, [William Winn, L, anl S. L Bootii, C] Head- 

INOLBY, ^G. S Beecroft, C] 

Nov. 9th John Wilson, Esq. wa.s elected mayor. 

Jul.V 8th. Rxtraordiiiarv Klection, Kirksfte War], vice Simuel 
Smith, r sis'ned in conse |uence of law suit — Mr. Smith was r^-elected, 
the votes be.ijg Smith, C. 2U, Willia n Sellers, L. 143. 

Nov, 9th. At a meeting of tlie Leeds town council, tlie 
foliovviug gentlemen were elected aldermen of the borough 
for the six years ending November 9th, 1859, namely : — 

J. D. Luccock, Rich ir! Wilson, John Wilson, William Hornby, 
Joseph Richardson Joseph Whitham, Willi im Kels ill, :'iud Hutchin- 
son Gre.sham. 

On Sunday the 20th of November a great sensation was 
caused in St. Saviour's parish and throughout the whole 
*' Bank," in Leeds, caused by the Rev. Charles Gutch the 
curate, refusing to inter the body of a parishioner in the 
East-street burial ground, because the deceased was not a 
communicant or a member of the church. On the relatives 
protesting against his conduct, the Rev. gentleman took till 
next da,y to consider his final determination, when he told 
them " that he had made up his mind not to admit the body 
into the church, but would go straight to the grave, and 
having read the latter portion of the service there, would 
read the first portion to the relatives and friends in the 
church, after the interment had taken place," The relatives 
subsequently called on Dr. Hook, the vicar of Leeds, and 
asked his interference. On looking into the matter to be 
legally correct, it was discovered that the vicar had authority 
over the burial ground ; but not over the church. Accord- 
ingley the Rev. Nicholas Greenwell, curate of the parish 
, church, accompanied by six of the churchwardens attended 
the burial ground to perform the service. The Rev. Mr. 
Giatch had caused the church doors to be closed. The vicar's 
representative therefore read the service outside, the former 
part at the west door of the church, the latter at the grave. 
The Rev. Mr. Green well, and the churchwardens had the 
annoyance of being pelted with sods and clay, by an excited 

crowd during the ceremony. 21st. An exceedingly dense 

fog overspread Leeds ; up to noon objects were difficult of rec- 
ognition when only a few yards distant. In many instances 
places of business were lighted up nearly throughout the 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. G43 

]8r)3.— Nov. 

day. A great number of fatal casualties occurred. At 
Stourbridge and neighbourhood seven persons were drown. 
ed. A female was drownied at Bradford, and a man at 

Hunslet. 30th. At a meeting of the Leeds poor law 

guardians, the Rev. Solomon Briggs, cliaplain of the work- 
house and the Industrial Schools, was censured by the board 
for erasing an entry made in one of the office report books. 

On the night of the 1st of December, a singular case of 
suffocation ticcnrred at Elescar, a popuLjus village between 
Rotherham and Barnsley. Four persons who resided in a 
short row of houses abutting upon one of the blast furnaces 
at the Elescar Iron Works, namely : — Phoebe Sadler, aged 
53, her daughter and son, Ann Sadler, aged 19, and John 
Sadler, 1 5, and a lodger named Warwick, aged 48, were all 
found dead in their beds, caused by inhaling the vapour of 
cyanide of potassium which had passed through a crack in 

the waU, from the furnace to the bed room. Gch. Died 

in his 5Dthyear, Mr. Thomas Morgan, for more than twenty 
years Registration agent of the liberal party in Leeds. His 
very extensive knowledge of the locality, and of the law and 
practice of registration, his accuracy, his plodding perseve- 
rance, his decided liberal principles, and his perfect upright- 
ness, made him exceeding!}'- valuable to his party. The 
deceased was interred at Burmantofts cemetery and his funeral 
was attended by the late mayor Alderman Shaw, several 
of the aldermen, and a considerable number of town coun- 
ciUors, poor law guardians and other gentlemen. 

Dec 6th. Mrs. Chishoim addressed the members, subscribers, 
and friends of the Leeds Mechanics' Institution and Literary 
Society, at the Music-hall, on " Hints on emigration to the 

Australian Colonies." 16th. Mr. Robeii; Harrison 

formerly of London, and late of St. Petersburg, was elected 
librarian to the Leeds Old Library. There were 177 can- 
didates. 17th. Arthur Napoleon, a young Portuguese 

pianist aged 9 years, astonished and delighted the audience 
at the people's concert, Leeds, by his clever performance on 

the pianoforte. 17th. At the York assizes, James Ward, 

Wm. Benton, Rd. Dobson, S. Taylor, Joseph Ward, and 
George Adamson of Roth well, were each sentenced to four 
years penal servitude for night poaching at Temple Newsam 
on the 27th of iS'ovember. Thomas Phillips the head game- 
keeper was wounded in the affray, and one of the poachers 
named Scholefield died from^ the wounds he received On the 
same day, Joseph Close and Joseph Hodgson were sentenced, 
the former to four years, and the latter to twelve months for 



644 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK AND 

1853.— Dbc. 

poaching, with wounding at Harewood. On the night 

of the 27th of December a fire of a terrific and destructive 
character occurred in a newly built stuff warehouse, situate 
in Swaine-street, Bradford, the property of Messrs Ripley 
and Son, of Bowling, but in the joint occupation of Messrs. 
Berwick Brothers, Gillies and Co. , and Messrs, Broadbent 
and McCrober. The damage to the building and property 
was about £40,000. 

1854. This year was ushered in by a very heavy fall of 
snow all over the country. Everywhere business operations 
were almost entirely stopped. In Leeds on the 2nd and 3rd 
the cold was intense, and on the 4th the snow completely 
stopped the railway traffic connected with the town. There 
was not a single train from Manchester and other places for 
three days. On the night of the 3rd and until noon on the 
4tli the wind blew hard, with heavy squalls from the south 
east, causing a very many wrecks at Hartlepool, Sunder- 
land, Shields, and other places. A storm still more severe 
visited the same coast on the 7th, doing great damage to 
shipping property. There was no less than 150 vessels 
driven ashore between Warkworth and Hartlepool. 

Jan 6th. Bread riots occurred at Exeter, and several 
other places in Devonshire. 

The Leeds Academy of Arts was again opened as a winter 

exhibition. 8th. A most extraordinary and mysterioiis 

occurrence took place in the family of Mr. Longbottom, who 
resided near the Baptist chapel, Hunslet, between the low 
road leading to Wakefield and the river Aire. It appears 
that Thomas the son of Mr. Longbottom had married so 
recantly as Christmas day previously, the daughter of Frank 
Armitage, farmer of Harlington, On the night of the 7th 
they retired to bed about eleven o'clock apparently on the 
most friendly terms. Next morning about seven o'clock 
some one knocked loudly at Mr. Longbottom's door, and on 
looking out to his amazement he saw his daughter-in-law 
laid on the stone landing outside the house, in a state of in- 
sensibility and in her night dress, she evidently having fallen 
from the chamber window which was open. Search was 
made for the son when he was ultimately found drowned in 
the river Aire, also in his night dress. When the poor wife 
had recovered sufficiently to give evidence before the cor- 
oners' jury, she stated that she could not remember how the 
accident had happened ; that her memory was a complete 
blank from retiring to rest on the Saturday night the 7th of 
January, to Thursday morning following, when conscious- 



THE SUKROL'XDIXG DISTRICT. 645 

18.-14.— Tax. 

ness returned. The fatliur of the same yoimg man commit- 
ted suicide on Sunday night, the 30th of May, 1859, by 
throwing himself down the shaft of his own pit at Hunslet. 

16th. At a special meeting of the Leeds town council it 
was decided to erect a covered market at the top of Kirk- 
gate market place, at a Cv)3t of not less than £14,000 which 
sum v>-as accordingley granted. The building was opened on 
May 2nd, 1857. It is of iron and glass, covering an area 
of 4,040 yards. The style of architecture is Gothic ; its 
form that of a parallelogram, v*-ith an oblique end. It has 
44 shops on the outside, and 35 in the inside, where there 
are also four rows of iron stalls. At night the market is 
well illuminated by 200 gas lights, arranged round cast iron 
pillars. The exterior is formed by a glass screen above the 
shops, averaging 12 feet in height, and covered in by tlireo 
longitudinal roofs. Altogether it is the most complete 
structure of its kind in England. Messrs, iNelson and Sous, 
of Leeds were the contractors. It is open daily from 7 a.m. 
in summer and 8 in winter, till 9 o'clock p.m ; and on Satur- 
day" tiU 11 p.m. 18th. There was a great flood at Don- 
caster and other parts of the West-Riding, 

21st. The splendid new iron ship Tayleur bound from 
Liverpool to Melbourne with emigrants, was wrecked on 
the rocks wliich surround the Islet of Lambay, near Dublin 
Bay, and out of 700 passengers on board, 455 were drowned. 

23rd. At a special meeting of the Leeds town council 
£1,300 18s. was granted for iron cattle pens, stone blocks, 
and the Grafton-street wall, for the Smithfield cattle market. 
The question of the Xorth-street boundary wall was refeiTed 

back .to the committee for reconsideration. 25th. The 

annual soiree of the Leeds Mechanics' Institution and Liter- 
ary Society was held at the JMusic-hall, under the distin- 
guished presidency of Sir Edward Bulwer L}i;ton, Bai-t., 
who delivered a most eloquent address. The mayor of Leeds, 
the Lord mayor of York, Mr. Charles Knight, Mr. TV. E. 
Forster, the Hon, and ver}* Rev. Dean of Ripon, and others 

took part in the proceedings. 26t]i. The Leeds squadron 

of the Yorksiiire Hussars dined together in the Assembly 
rooms, Leeds. The chair was occupied by Lieut. Colonel 
Beckett, M.P. After dinner a piece of plate was presented 
to Captain BL-chofF, by the non-commissioned ofhcers and 
privates of the squadron, as a testimonial of their esteem 
and friendship. 

Feb. 1st. At a meeting of the Leeds board of guardians it 
was decided ''That any minister, town missionary, local 



646 AJfNALS OP LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1854— Fkb 

preacher, or prayer leader, be allowed to visit the Workhouse 
and Industrial Schools for religious purposes at suitable 
times, not interfering with the stated duties of the chaplain. " 

6th. A large diamond estimated to be worth £280,000 from 
Rio Janiero, was deposited in the Bank of England. This 
precious jewel is said to have been found by a negro slave, 

who received his freedom as a reward. 8th. The Leeds 

town council granted £1,500 to the Town-hall committee for 
strengthening the foundation, and the walls of the vestibule, 
so that a tower might be erected thereon, if the council 

should afterwards so determine. —15th. A detachment 

of the 28th regiment (900 strong) under Lieufc. Colonel Adama 
left Leeds for the seat of war, amidst the cheers of thou- 
sands of the inhabitants. 16th. Great damage was 

done at Sheffield by the bursting of the canal which runs be- 
tween that town and Tinsley. About the end of Feb- 
ruary and during the month of March, considerable alarm 
was created in Leeds by the appearance of the cholera. Up 
to the 10th of March there had been altogether forty cases 
of which fifteen proved fatal, and all the persons affected 
except five, were employed at the flax mills of Messrs. Wil- 
kinson, Hunslet. The proprietors stopped the mills and 
adopted measures to remove everything that might have 
tended to cause the outbreak, though they stoutly maintained 
that the cause was exterior to their premises, and for which 
they were not responsible. The disease appeared at Castle- 
ford in a frightful form, and several deaths occurred. 

March 8th. A meeting of the Leeds Chamber of Commerce 
and other gentlemen was held at the Court-house, for the 
purpose of hearing from Edward Baiues, Esq. an explana- 
tion of the proposed new decimal system of coinage ; and 
from Mr. Frederick Warren a statement with regard to the 
exhibition of the woollen manufactures of this district, in 
the new Crystal Palace at Sydenham. 13th. Mr. Jus- 
tice Talford died of apoplexy, during the time he was de- 
livering the charge to the grand jury at Stafford assizes. 

ISfch. A meeting of the Leeds toAvm council, the magistrates, 
the poor law guardians, and the highway surveyors, was 
held at the Court-house, for the purpose of conferring with 
Dr. Gavin, the superintending medical inspector, and Mr. 
Lee, the sanatory inspector of the board of health, in refer- 
ence to the sanatory measures to be taken in order to avert 
the spread of the cholera. 



THE SURROUi^DlNG DISTRICT. 647 

1S54. — April. 

Guardians of the poor for the township of Leeds, elected 
April 5th, 1854:— 

Those in brackets were elected. 

East, [Henry Barker, 2-27, Edward Barker, 222,] William Wray, 

200, Wil'iam Brown, 207. KiRKGAte. [Richard Stead, 340, 

Thomas Phillip-, 32?.] Edmund Stead, 214, Major Hurst, 211. 

MlLL-Hll.L, [.Fohn Patrick. 4.55, Lponard Hicks, 443, John Wood- 
head, 42^,] lliomas Jowett Wilkinson, 393, .lohn Smith, 412 

NoRiH, [Joseph 1-insley, 3.^6, Kobert Meek Carter. 373,] Thomas 

Elli>8. 141, Jo>eph Aldridee. 1-29. Norih-East, [Samuel La wson, 

310, Richard Moat, 162,] John Wadsworth, 134. North-West, 

[L>a\id Newron, 438, Henry B liley Lepg, 433,] 'I homas Eoyston, 
199, Daniel Atkinson, 193. South, [Richard Gardner, and Hutch- 
inson Gresham. Wkst, [Tb.omas Willingtun George, 770, .lames 

Rertitt, 762, .lohn Botterill, 743,] Peter Law Atkinson, 227. Hutch- 
inson Gresham was elected chairman. 

April 17th. St. Michael's church, Buslingthorpe, Leeds, 

was consecrated. The 2Gth was observed as a day of public 

humiliation aud prayer, "for the assistance on our arms, 
and for the restoration of peace to us, and our dominions." 
In Leeds collections were made in most of the churches 
and chapels of the town, on behalf of the wives and children 
of the soldiers and sailors who were engaged in battle. 

Died, on Sunday afternoon, the 30th of April, at his resi- 
dence, the Mount, Sheffield, in the 84th year of his age, 
Mr. James Montgomery, a distinguished poet, and christian 
philanthropist. He Avas the son of a Moravian missionary 
who died in the West Indies, and was born November 4th, 
1771, at Irvine, in Ayrshire, but received his education at 
the Brethren's establishment, at Fulneck, near Leeds. 
While retainiug a warm filial attachment to the ancient 
church of the L'uited Brethren, he connected himself chiefly 
at one time, with the W^esleyan denomination in his own 
neighbourhood, but in his latter years was a regular attend- 
ant upon an evangelical ministry in the establishment. No 
man was ever more free from either polemical or sectarian 
narrowness ; and the catholic spirit of his hymns correspond 
to the whole tenor of his conduct. He settled at Sheffield 
in 1792, and soon after succeeded to a printing business, and 
the editorship of the Sheffield Iris, which paper in a short 
time became his own, a,nd was conducted by him until 1825. 
As an editor he was a f'^arless advocate of civil and religious 
freedom, as well as every philanthropic object. He was 
twice imprisoned in York castle during the turbulent times 
of 1794 and 1795, for imputed political offences. His first 



G48 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, A^sD 

l'"r>4 — Aputl. 

offence, for which he suffered three months imprisonment 
in (1704,) was for having reprinted, for a poor hawker, a 
song written years before by a clergyman at Belfast, coni- 
meni orating the taking of the Bastile. The year following 
he endured six months imprisonment, for having stated in the 
Iris ' ' t hat undue precipitation had been used in attacking a 
noisy raob in Sheffield, by the volunteers, by which attack 
two innocent persons had been killed." The poet soothed 
liis confinement by the composition of his "Prison Amuse- 
ments," Vvdiich he published in 1798. 'The Wanderers of 
Switzerland, 'published in 1806, first established his reputation 
as a poet, in spite of the very severe review by Macauley in 
the Edinburgh Review. The most important of his other 
works are :— ' The West Indies,' (1810,) ' The World befora 
the Flood,' ri813,) 'Greenland,' (1819,) 'Songs of Zion," 
(1822,) and ' The Pelican Islands,' (1827.) As a poet he is 
chiefly characterized by purity and elevation of thought, 
harmonious versiiication, and a liue strain of devotional 
feeling. The labours of his latter years consisted almost 
entirely in composing hymns, or of occasional verses, and 
so long as the English tongue is spoken in either hemis- 
pheres, some of his hymns v/ill continue to rank, with all 
the churches of Christ, amongst their favourite "songs of 
praise." In 1835 government granted him a pension of 
£150 a year. 

30th. Died, at Easingwold, Yorkshire, Dr. JSTewton, an 
eminent Wesleyan minister. His years had passed three- 
score and ten, fifty five of whicli he had been a preacher. 
The estimation in which ho v/as held is shown by the man- 
ner in which the news of his death was received, at a mis- 
sionary meeting on the following day. The Watchman says 
' ' No one could have beforehand devised a worthier testi- 
monial to the unequalled champion, and orator of missions, 
than that which vras prepared for him on Monday, (1 st May). 
That society, which had so often revived its spirit, and 
quickened its march under the music of his voice, was 
arrested in the midst of one of its fullest and happiest 
meetings, with tidings that he was no more. Man and 
woman, all over that vast multitude, bowed under a per- 
sonal sorrow, and youth and age together dropped a tear. 
That moment of silence and grief was such an ovation as a 
worldly hero seldom wins, and such as the warm and modest 
hep.rt of Dr. Newton, would have felt more than a noisy or 
a splendid tribute." 

On Tuesday afternoon the 2nd of May, Leeds was visited 



THE SUREOUNDING DISTRICT. 649 

] 854— May. 

by a tlmnderstorm, wliicb unhappily involved the loss of 
two lives. The scene of the most serions calamity was the 
new Roman Cath(,)lic ebapel, in the course of erection at 
Richmond-hill. Shortly before half-past one o'clock, five of 
the workmen employed at the chaT)el took shelter from a 
heavy shower of rain beneath an arch, which sprung from 
a buttress at the angle of the n(>rth transept. They had 
not taken refiige beside the buttress more than live minutes, 
when there was a long vivid iiash of lightning, succeeded by 
a loud sharp peal of thunder, which struck down a corpse, 
John Riley. Tlic lightning stripped off erer}^ particle of 
his clothing, and tore it to shreds. The electric fluid rent 
the buttress from top to bottom, and iluug massive stones 
to an immeiise dista.nce. The other four men vrere buried 
under the stones which had formed the buttress. John Cum- 
mings, aged 55, was crushed to a frightiul degree, and died 
at tjie Infirmaiy the same evening. John Foy, Thomas 
MacDorrack, and J. J. Wilson, were also crushed, but not 
fatally, William Bulmer, who was employed in working the 
windlass at the top of the well, near to the chapel, was laid 
prostrate with his thigh broken. The windlass was "wrenched 
jfrom his grasp and shattered to pieces. A man named Hud- 
son who was excavating in the well, was so mangled and 
crushed by stones that he was scarcely alive. Some idea oi 
the force of the lightning may be formed, when it is stated 
that stones of the weight of sixty pounds were thrown a 
distance of 150 yards. About the .same time as this sad oc- 
currence, two horses jirocecding along Pontefract-lane, draw- 
ing coal carts, were killed by the lightning, and one of the 
carts injured, but the drivers escaped. 

May 11th. A splendid dinner was given by the Lord Mayor 
of London, (Thomas Sidney, Esip) at the Mansion Hou.se, 
to the mayor, corporation, and justices, of Leeds, which 
for brilliancy, profusion, and magnificence, surpassed ail 
previous expectation, and is an event that vdll long live in 
the memory of tliose who had the honour of being present. 
Besides the authorities of Leeds, the invitations included 
its leading inhabitants, as well as the members for the Y/est- 
Riding, and the West-Riding borouglis, the Lord mayor of 
York, and the mayors of the several boroughs in the Riding, 
the Bishop of Ripon, the Vicar of Leeds, and many of the 
local cierg}'. The guests altogether numbered 200. 

16th. The Leeds cattle markets and fairs were permanent- 
ly removed from the Kirkgate, to the Smithfield market. 
31st. The Leeds town council granted a further sum of 



650 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

i'54.-MAY. 

£229, towards increasing the walls for the erection of tlie 

Town-hall tower. On the night of the 31st of May, the 

troop ship '"Europa" was destroyed by fire in the Bay of 
i^iscay ; twenty one lives were lost, including Colonel Moor 
of the E'lniskillens. 

June 7th. The seventeenth anniversary of the Yorkshire 
Union of Mechanics' Institutes was celebrated at Bradford, 
the morning conference being held in the Mechanics'. Insti- 
tue, Leeds-road, and the soiree in the evening at St. George's 
Hall. Edward Baiues, Esq. president of the union, presi- 
ded at the morning conference, and Lord Beaumont presided 
in the evening. On the following day, the delegates and 
feiends visited Saltaire, the great worsted manufactory of 

Titus Salt, Esq. 12th. Avery large meeting, was held in 

Mie coloured Cloth-hall yard, Leeds, John Wilson, Esq. 
mayor, in the chair, "To petition parliament in favour of 
a lav/ for prohibiting the sa,le of intoxicating liquors, during 
the vtdiole of Sunday." The gentlemen who sp;vke infavf)-!r 
flf the petition were the Rev, Wm. Sinclair, Itlr Wir;'i;mi 
Campbell, the Rev. G. B. de Renzi, and Mr. Jo^^epli Bar- 
ter, (from America.) The speakers in opposition vv^ere Mr. 
William Spirrett, and Mr. Swales. A resolution was carried 

m favour of the petition. 10th. The new crystal 

palace at Sydenham was opened by the Queen, in the presence 

pf about 40,000 spectators. 14th. Died, in his 65th 

year, the R->v. Joseph Holmes, D.I)., who for twenty years 
filled the office of head master of the Leeds Free Grain n>ar 
School. The deceased was very much respected by his feUow 
townsmen, and was always held in the highest esteem by liis 
scholars. He resigned his appointment at the Christmas 
.previous to his death. The Rev. Alfred Barry, M.A., sue- ' 
ceeded him as head master. 

; Jnjy 7th. The Rov. Charles Wicksteed, B.A., minister of 
-Mill- hill chapel, Leeds, resigned his ministerial charge, owing 
*to confirmed enfeebled health. He had held the appoint- 
ment nearly nineteen years, during which period he had 
discharged his duties with unwearied devotion .'ind zeal. His 
dpi^'P learning, and fervent piety, combined with charity, h.;;d 
secured to him the affections of liis congregaticm, so that his 
resignation was accepted with feelings of deep regret and 
aon-^DW. As a small acknowledgement of his long and faith- 
ful services, the congregation presented to him on the 0th 
of October, 1854, a silver salver, which had cost £32, with 
3 purse CMutaining £883 15s. The Rev. Thomas Hincks was 
;appointed to the ministry on the 7th of October, 1855. 



THE SURROUXDIXG DISTRICT. 651 

1854.— July. 

6th. The eiiiigvaut ship Dirgo depai-ted from Liverpod 
to Adelaide, -with 530 emigrants, but in a short time had to 
return, in consequence of the cholera having broken out 
amongst the passengers. There had been fifty one deatlis, 
and fourteen were then dangerously ill. 

10th. The cholera prevailed at Barbadoes, and up to this 
•date, 15,000 or one-ninth of the population had fallen vic- 
tims. 13th. At the> annual dhmer of the West-Riding 

Medical Charitable Society, held at the White Lion Hotel, 
Halifax, a beautiful silver kettle and stand, and a silver tray- 
were presented to J. P. Garlick, Esq., F.R.C.S.. on his 
resignation of the office of honorary secretary, which he had 
filled -^Tith unwearied energy, and active benevolence, for 

"twenty five years.— 20th. The Vegetarian Society of 

Engand celebrat;?d its serenth an ni vers: -try, by a banquat 
in the Music-hall, Leeds, to which about 250 ladies and 
gentlemen, from various parts of the kingdom sat down. 

The late James Simpson, Esq., presided. 31st. The 

Leeds, Bradford, and Halifax Junction Kailvray, opened 
this day. The line was commenced in August, 1852. 

Aug. 9th. The Leeds town council, after a debate of eight 
hours' duration, decided by tvrenty eight ag linst seventeen, 
in favour of obtaining water from tlie vrmr Wharf e, to -be 
pumped from, or near Arthir.gton, as the future source of 
water supply for the bore ugh. There vrere four schemes 
before the council from whicii to select. The first was tire 
Skiifare, a gravitation soLeme, the estiniated cost of wl.icli, 
exclusive of land, was set d<jwn hj Mr. Bray at £317,000,; 
2nd, a scheme for bringing \\'ater by gi-avitation from the 
same district, jointly ^vith Bradford, at a cost estimated by- 
Mr. Leather at £180,000 ; 3rd, the Wharfe pumpii^g scheme, 
at an estimated cost of £93,000 ; and 1-th, the Washbourne 
gravitation scheme, at an estinnited expense of £92,000. 

12th. Lord Jocelyii died of Asiatic cholera. The deceased 
will be remembered as one of the conservative candidates for 
the representation of Leeds, in 1811. He was born oii the 
20th of February, 181G, and at the time of his death wsfs 
Lieutenant Colonel, Commander of the Eoyal Essex Rifles. 
He was eldest son of the Earl of Roden, and in 1841 married 
Lady Fanny Cowper, daughter of Yicountess Pahuerston, 
by whom he left two sons and two daughters. 

22nd. Five persons were killed by an explosion at a new 
colliery, in the course of f.^rmatiou at Hemingfield, ncjii* 
Barnsley. The ex^jlosion was caused by • )ne of the colliers 
carrying a naked light to a place where there had been an 



652 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1854.— Aua. 

accumula,tioii of foul air, in consequence of an overflow of 

water into the pit. The late George Baron, Esq. of 

Drev/ton Manor, South Cave, near Hull, bequeathed his 
valuable collection of coins, medals, and books, on those 
.subjects, worth about £2,000 to the Leeds Philosophical 
Society. 

Sept. The deaths from Cholera in ten weeks, up to this 
date, in London, were 8,953. In France, no less than 
88,026 persons had fallen victims to the disease during the 
.year. The cholera had been very bad at Cleethorpes, Goole, 

and other places in England. — 19th. Bramhope tunnel 

_ on the Leeds Northern division of the North Eastern P^ail- 
■ way, was the scene of a frightful accident;, caused by the 
: falling in of a portion of the roof of the tunnel, twelve feet 
square, upon the engines and tenders of a x^assenger train. 
Some thirty persojis were more or less injured, though none 
of them fatally. 

War events of 1854. — In July 1853 the Czar Nicholas 
of Russia, menaced the independence of Turkey, by 
forcibly seizing the provinces of the Danube, Wallachia, and 
,; Moldavia, which he claimed to hold as a material guarantee, 
for the exercise of a protectorate over the Greek subjects of 
the Porte. England and France believing that this would 
ultimately have the effect of making Russia mistress of the 
Bosphorus, the Dardanells, the Isles, and even the Medi- 
terranean itself, formed a treaty of alliance with Turkey, 
(March 12th, 1854,) for the purpose of stopping the aggress- 
ion. 0(1 the 28th of March war was declared. Fleets liad 
\)een sent to the Baltic and Black sea. On the 8th of April, 
the first detachment of British troops landed at Gallipoli, 
and on the 14th at Scutaria. Aj^ril 20th. Silistria was in- 
vested by the Russians. On May 1 1th, the Turks commenced 
active operati(ms against the place. On June 3rd, a counter- 
mine killed 3,000 Russians. June loth, tJie siege of Silistria 
was raised, and the Russians were in full retreat. During 
the five weeks sieg:e, the Russian loss was estimated at 
10,000 men. The French and English troops were then at 
Varna, where they remained until the beginning of Septem- 
ber. On the 10th of August a fire destroyed more than a 
quarter of the town, and the troops were then suffering 
much from cliolera and diarrhea. On the 24th of August, 
the allied generals determined upon the grand expedition to 
the Crimea. On the 5th of Sept. the troops were all under 
sail, and consisted of 27,000 English, under Lord Raglan, 
and about the same number of Frencli under Marshal St. 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 653 

1854.— S KPT. 

Arnaiid, and 8,000 Turkish troops. From the 14th to the 18th 
of Sept., the allied forces were landed without resistance in 
the Crimea, at Eupatoria, about tifty four miles from Sebafi- 
topol. On the 19th of September they advanced a few mil^ 
along the coast, to the banks of the sn;a:I river Alma, where 
they luund about o7,00U Kussians entreijched on the steep 
slopes, rarymg in height from loO to 400 fett of the southern 
bank. 

Batile of the Alma. On the 2Ctji of September, 

the allies determined to attack the enemy. Tuo French ad- 
vanced nearest the sea, and were partly co'^'i red by the fire 
from the tieet, the English charged in tl^e centre, and the 
Turks on the left. The battle commirii-oed about half-past 
twelve <''clock. By one o'clock the Irencli columns suc- 
ceeded in IcKlging themselves in force vn t:!^• plateau. The 
British Avere greatly embarrassed in tl.tiir advance. The 
bridge of the Alma had been broken down, so as to checi 
the progress both of men and artiiieiy, and just at the 
moment of advance, the whole village of Bourliouk, stretch- 
ing a great distance along the river, burst into flames. 
Nothing daunted, though somewhat rt-iarded, the British 
forded the Alma, breast high, under a st^rni of balls whicJi 
fell like hail in the river, and began the lung ascent, ieaving 
on the ground at every step great iuimlier> oi their comrades; 
The light division uncler Sir George Br.jwn and Sir De Lacy 
Evans, occupying the right of the Britisli, pressed on the 
most rapidly, although at every ;-tep a vlreadful redoubt 
poured destruction upon them. AVitii thiiined ranks they 
at lengd:h passed the long ascent, reached the redoubt, ana 
sprang to take possession of it ; but ju.st then a heavy mass 
of Russian guards descended the hill, poured in upon the 
assailants a murderous fire, under which m';->f'.t of the oflicers 
of the 23rd went clown, and then charged them with the 
bayonet, driving the light troops down the hill. At thife 
critical moment up came the brigade of foot guards under 
General Bentick, and the Highland brigade under General 
Sir Colin Campbell, both of whom had been x)ressing up the 
hill to the left of the light troops, and opposed their terrible 
fronts of steel to the advancing Russian guards. Volleys of 
musketry brought the Imperial troops U> a stand, but when 
the English guards and Highlanders rushed upon them with 
the bayonet, the sight was too dreadful, and the Russian 
guards turned round and fled. Then the redoubt was taken 
by the guards and Highlanders together, though not till tli« 
Russian artillery had carried oil' nearly all the cannon. 



654 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1854.— Skpp 

About the same time, General Pennefather, whose brigade 
had been connected with the right of the light division, over- 
came the opposition in his front, and united with the otlier 
brigades in the final attack upon the Russians. The BritisU 
artillej'7 was not much behind the infantry in reaching the 
heights, and it inflicted heavy loss on the enemy, both 
during the battle and in the pursuit. The French after 
gaining the lieights turned to the left, and attacked the 
Russians with great effect, especially during the retreat. 
The hei^'hts of tibe Almi were carried after an engagement 
of about three hours and a half. The British loss V/^as : — • 
officers kiUed 26, wounded 73 : men killed 327, Avounded 
1,557. The French : — officers killed 3, wounded 54 ; meri 
killed 253, wounded 1,033. Total allies killed 600, wounded 
2,717. The Russian loss was : — offi,cers killed 45, wounded 
101; m^w killed 1762, wounded 2,720. Total Russians 
killed 1,807, wounded 2,821. On the 23rd of September the 
allied armies quitted the position above the Alma, and moved 
across the Katscha, On the following day they passed the 
Belbek, with the intention of attacking Sebastopol on the 
north side ; but it was then found that at the mouth of the 
latter river, where the Generals had hoped to disembark 
the siege artillery, a Russian fort had been constructed, 
which it would be necessary to take before the artillery could 
be landed. This caused them to change their plans, and 
make for n, small harbour, deep, but narrow, called Bal- 
aklava, on the south coast of the Crimea, and not more than 
eight miles south east of Sebastopol. Sept. 29th, Marshal 
St. Arnaud died, aged 53. On the 17th of October the 
allied armies opened fire on Sebastopol, which was continued 
incessantly for more than a week. 

Battle op Balakliva. 
On the 25tb of October, afc an early liour in the morning-, 
the eneniy attacked the pf)sition in front of Balaklava. In 
a very short time four redoubts garrisoned by Turkish troops 
were taken. Tlie enemy's cavalry pursued the Turks until 
they encountered the 93rd Highlanders, who instantly drove 
them back by a vigorous and steady fire. Repulsed by one 
British infantry regiment, the Russian cavalry re-formed, 
and dished forward against the Scots Greys. The numbers 
opposed to the Scots Greys were in proportion of six to one ; 
and the enemy opening their i-anks received them in their 
midst, and then closed in upon them. The struggle was a 
fearful one, but the heroic bravery of these 280 British 
sabres caused the enemy to gallop back in great disorder to- 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 655 

1854.— Oct. 

wards the captured redoubts. Some time after this, a 
glorious catastrophe occurred, which filled all vrlio wituesssed 
it with sorrow. From a misconception of Lord Raglan's in- 
structions, directing Lord Lucan to advance his cavalry 
nearer to the enemy, his lordship gave orders to Lord Car- 
digan to attack the enemy in the valley. The light cavalry 
numbered about 670 sabres. The brigade then charged on- 
wards against the battery of nine guns, which breasted the 
valley. These guns opened a fearful discharge of grape 
upon the gallant fellows, wliilst the batteries upon the right 
and lefb poured in volleys of round shot and shell. Un- 
daunted by this murderous fire the cavalry pushed on, with- 
out once hesitating, dashed into the nine gun battery, and 
secured the cannon. In returning, the remnant of the 
cavalry had to cut their way through a column of Russian 
infantry. At that very moment Avlien the}'- were about to 
retreat, an enoriuus mass of Lancers was hurled upon their 
flank. Colonel ShewoU, of the 8th hussars saw the danger, 
and rode his few men straight at theiu, cutting his way 
through vdth feiirful loss. The other regiments turned and 
engaged in a desperate encounter. With courage almost too 
gi-eat for credence, thej" broke their way through the columns 
that enveloped them. How a single man escaped is really 
marvellous I In that fearful cavalry fight there were 13 
officers killed or taken, 162 men killed or taken, 27 officers 
woimded, and 224 men wounded. Total killed, wounded, 
and missing, 426. Horses killed or missing, 394, horses 
wounded 126, total 520. 

Battle of Ixkerman. 
On the 5th of Xov., at the dawn of day, thellussijins poured 
out of Sebastopol with immense forces, ascended the Inkerinau 
heiglits, and almost before the British had awakened from 
slumber, large masses of Russians were creeping up the hills 
in front, flank, and rear of the 2nd division. The morning 
was extremely dark, with a drizzling rain, rendering it 
almost impossible to di.=:cover anything beyond the flash and 
smoke of artillerj-, and heavy musketry fire. The enemy 
had placed batterries of hea^-y artillery on the slopes to the 
left. And now commenced the bloodiest struggle ever "wit- 
nessed since war c;ir>cd the earth. So gi-eat was the huny 
in the surprised army, that the regiments hastened to their 
posts by companies, and formed themselves at once in front 
of overpowering numbers of the enemy, whilst the heavy 
guns and field artillery of the Russians were showering death 
upon them from every point of advantage. Some of the 



656 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

]854— Nov, ^ 

divisions were sent to resist the attack on the east ; others 
to resist that on the north and north west ; and in the thick 
fog it was impossible to tell which was the point of greatest 
danger. The British although opposed to vastly superior 
masses of Rassians, contested every inch of the ground with 
a bravery that had never been equalled. The battle raged 
for nine long hours. The force of the Russians which 
attacked, amounted to 60,000 men, whilst the British 
troops that could be spared were but 8,000. When thfe 
British had been engaged several hours in the unequal and 
critical contest, bodies of 6,000 French arrived, and charged 
the Russians with powerful effect. At one point where the 
British v/ere completely outflanked, the French battalions 
saved them by a timely attack. But in spite of English 
energy, and French ardour, still the Russians poured on 
their inexhaustible masses up hills bathed in the blood of 
their comrades. "Thus the battle continued" says Lord 
Raglan " with unabated vigour, and with no positive result, 
the enemy bringing upon our line not only all their field 
batteries, but those in front of Sebastopol and the ship guns, 
till the afternoon, when the symptoms of giving way first 
became apparent, and shortly after, although the fire did 
not cease, the retreat became general, and heavy masses 
were observed retiring over the bridge of the Inkerman, and 
ascending the oj)posite height, abandoning on the field of 
battle five or six thousand dead or wounded, multitudes of 
the latter having already been carried ofl' by them. I never 
before witnessed such a spectacle as the field presented ; but 
upon this I Avill not dwell." But we have not finished the 
deeds of this bloody battle. On the side of the French siege 
works the Russians made a sally with 5,000 men, with Avhich 
they seized two of the French batteries, and spiked fifteen 
guns. The French soon expelled the assailants, and pur- 
sued them to the very walls of their fortifications, inflicting 
a loss of 1,000 men. The number of British oflicers killed 
were 44, wounded 102 ; men killed 016, wounded 1878. 
French oflicers killed 14, wounded 34 ; men killed 118, 
wounded 1,279. The Russians had 247 oflicers killed and 
wounded; men killed 4,976, men wounded 10,152. 

On the 14th of November a violent hurricane swept over 
the Crimea, which left the soldiers tentless, deluged, and 
perishing, as well as whelmed many a brave ship beneath 
the bUlow. 

Oct. 4th. Henry Hall, Esq. having resigned the office of 
treasurer to the Leeds General Lifirmary, which he had filled 



THE SURUOUNDIXG DISTRICT. 657 

1854.— Oct. 

gratuitously for more than thirty eight years, dnring the 
whole of which period he had earuestly and zealously pro- 
moted the interests, advocated the claims, and extended 
the benefits ©f charity. Joseph Mason Tennant, Esq. Avas ap- 
pointed his successor. Gth. A fire broke out in the worsted 

manufactory of Messrs. Wilson and Son, in Hillgate, 
Gateshead ; from thence it spread to a sulphur and saltpetre 
store, or powder niiU. This blew up, and such was the 
terrific explosion (heard twenty miles distant,) that the burn- 
ing mass was thrown across the T^nie, upon ships, and 
warehouses in !N"ewcastle, which at once became ignited. 
At the time of the explosion a very large concourse of per- 
sons had assembled in the neighbourhood of the mill, and 
"" hundreds of them were buried beneath the burning mass. 
A many lives were lost, and a large number injured. 
Property was destroyed of the value of half a million. 

By an order in council dated 18th of October, this year, 
26 burial grounds and burial places, in the townships of 
Leeds, Hunslet, and Holbeck, were ordered to be closed, 
with the following modifications : — 

" Burial.s to be discontinued furthuith, within the churches and 
church yard-s of St. Peter, St. John, Trinity, and St. Mary, Hun.slet ; 
and intlie church vaults ofSt. .iam-^s', a.ni\ St. Paul'.s ; al.so the buria! 
ground-s. Kirkgate (new), St Mary's, St Peter's We>leyari. tl.e Primi- 
tive Merhodists, Quarry Hill, Vienna-street ; Wesleyan Ne-v Con- 
nexion, EWer.ezer-street ; Mill Hill chapel; Albion chapel ; Wesleyan 
chapt-l, Huaslet ; Baptist chipel, Hun>let-lovv-road ; and in Bethel 
chapel, Holbeck. And from and after 1st of July, 1S55, the' burial 
gruurids of' St. Patrick's Roman catholic chapel ; Brunsvick Wesleyau 
chapel; Oxford-pl ice chapel; Queen-stn et chapel; and the Wes- 
leyau Methodist chapel, Holbeck. And from anfl after the 1st of 
July, 1>.'j6, in the Quakers' burial eround. In Hill Ho'ise Bank 
burial ground, attached to the church of St Saviour's, onp body only 
to be hurled in each grave, (except in existiner private vaults nnd 
grav'^") and burials to cea.se from ar.d after the 1st rif July, \S'^&. 
Burials t) cease forthwith in the bnri il eround situated between the 
Coloured Cloth-hall, and the Infirmary In the church yard of 
St Matthew, Holbeck, no burials to take place within twenty feet 
of the walls of tlie church, or of any dwellinehonse, and wholly to 
cea<e from and alter the 1st of July, ISoS." 

23rd. A public meeting of the freeholders of the township 
of Leeds, and of other persons claiming an interest in Wood- 
house moor, was held at the Court-house. Edward Baines, 
Esq. occupied the chair. Mr. Eddison very ably explained 
the objects of the meeting, and proposed a resolution to the 
effect : — 



658 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK ANB 

1854.— Oct. • ^ s 

" '1 hat this meeting vie^v.s with jealousy any attempt to inclose 
Woodhouse moor, or to curtail its use or the existing rights of the 
f'reeholdeis, thf r-ouimoners, or the inhabitants generally, and that a 
committee be no-.v api-'ointed, with power to add to their number, (five 
to he a ijuorum) to confer, or to consult with the Lords oi' the manor, 
and the recently appointed committee of the town council, or their 
re.-«pective agents." 

A committee was appointed accordingly. 

24th. A public meeting was held in Leeds, at the Court- 
house, convened by the mayor, to take steps to raise a sub- 
scription for the relief of the widows and orphans of the 
soldiers and sailors, Avho may die amidst the ravages and 
casualties of war. William Beckett, Esq., M.P., Sir George 
Goodman, and other gentlemen took part in the proceedings. 
A subscription was at once commenced, and ultimately 
more than £12,600 was raised. About the same time, meet- 
ings were held in the principal towns of the kingdom for the 
same object. The Queen headed the London subscription 
by £1,000, which was followed by Prince Albert with £500. 

27th. A splendid banquet was given at the White Horse 
Hotel, Leeds, to the Lord Mayor of Loudon, (Thos. Sidney, 
Esq.) by the municipal, magisterial, and other authorities 
of Leeds. The Lord mayor had sent his carriage and some 
of his servants, prior to his arrival in Leeds. An immense 
number of persons lined the rout of the procession. He 
was accompanied by Sir James Duke, and Mr. Alderman 
Wire. One hundred and sixty gentlemen were present at 
the banquet, including the mayor, municipal authorities, 
the borough members, the bishop of the diocese, the vicar, 
clergy, tfec. The entertainment was on a most magnificent 
scale. After dinner Darnton Lupton, Esq. occupied the 
chair, when the usual loyal and other toasts Avere given. The 
banquet was given in acknowledgement, and in honour of 
the one given by the Lord mayor on the 11th of May. 

31sb. Samuel Smith, Esq. Jiaving filled the oJElice of mayor 
of Bradford three years, a splendid banquet was given to 
him at the SL George's Hall, by the corporation. 

On the 31st of October, the subscribers to the Leeds 
Mechanics' Lisbitution presented to Mr. W. H. J. Traice, late 
secretary, a very beautiful timepiece, surmounted by two 
bronze figures, representing the fraternisation of the allies, 
bearing the following inscription : — 

" Presented to W. H J. Traice, as a toketi of esteem, by the com- 
mittee and other friends of the LeeJs Mechanics' Institution and 
Literary Society, October, 1854." 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 659 

1854.— Nov. 

Also at the same time, a lady's writing desk was handed 
to ]Mr. Traice, for presentation to his most worthy and esti- 
mable wife. 

LEEDS MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS, No\em2eii 1st, 1854. 
Those in brackets were elected. 

MiLi.-Hit L, [Thomas EasjlaiKl. C, 310 Ben Caries, C, 295.] John 

Smith, L, -ibO. Robert Adims, L, 272. W kst. [Thomas Greenwood, 

L, 6b6. John Botterill. L, 6/4,] Joseph Lambert. L, 33^, John Jackson, 

L, 31f< 1 North-Wkst, [James Kitson, L] — Nor ih, flhom-is 

Brumfitt, L, 320,] W. T. Bnllan<l. C, 300. Nouih-KaS-, [John 

LongUy, C] East, [W. Brown. C, 568,] Benjamin Musyra\e. L. 

a'.ij. KiRKGATE. [Thomas Phillips, C.j Sourfi, [James Smith, 

L.j HuNSLET, [Benjamin Mellor. L. 869,) "VYilliam Parker, K, 

602. HoLBKCK, [William Naylor, L, 1217, John Pollard, L, 

1192,] R. L.Armstron?,L, 1064. Henry Child, R, 981. Brami.ky, 

{John Lister, C, George Willis, C] Headinglsy, [Robert Pfvs- 

ymv, C J 

Nov. 9th, Joseph Richardson, Esq., was elected mayor. 

Nov. 2nd. Dr. F. W. Bedford, head master of the sclioois 
in connection with the Leeds Mechanics' Institution, having 
been elected governor of Heriot's Hospital, Edinbro', a very 
elegant time piece was presented to him by his scholars, and 
by his colleagues a very beautiful rosewood writing desk, 

with writing utensils. 9th. The Leeds town council 

appointed a committee to make inquiries respecting the 
moors or wastes at Woodhouse, Hoibeck, and Hunslet, and 
the best means of obtaining their appropriation for public 

use. St. Matthias' church, Burley, near Leeds, v^as 

consecrated by the Bishop of Bipon on the 10th of Nov. , 
1854, and forms a very attractive object in the jdc- 
turesque valley in which it is situated. The church is de- 
signed on the geometrical or middle pointed style, by Messrs. 
Perkin and Backhouse. The plan is cruciform, and consists 
of a tower, twenty one feet six inches square, at the west 
angle of the south transept. The tower is of three stages, 
and forms the entrance to the church. It is stone vaulted, 
and surmounted by a spire 166 feet high. The steeple was 
built at the sole expense of William Beckett, Esq. It con- 
tains an excellent peal of bells. The interior is fitted up 
with great taste, and has an imposing effect. The east and 
west windows are filled with stained glass, remarkably rich 
and harmonious in colour : the east containing figures of 
the four Evangelists, etc. The Beredos in Caen stone, is 
most elaborate, with enriched diaper panels in colour. In 
the wall of the south transept, is a beautiful monument to 



660 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1854— Nov. 

the memory of the late Mrs. Smith, of Biirley, executed by 
B. Spence, Esq. of Rome. There is also a good organ. 
The erection of this church is due almost entirely to the ex- 
ertions of V/m. Beckett, Esq., late M.P., and John Smith, 
Esq. , aided by a grant from the Ripon Diocesan Society. 
It is endowed out of the Matthewman fund to the amount 
of £150 a year, and is in the patronage of five trustees. 
Near it is a very handsome parsonage-house. The Rev. T. 

Sturgeon, M.A., is vicar. 11th. A memorial from 270 

respectable ratepayers of Holbeck, prayed that the town 
council would provide a cemetery or burial ground for that 

township. St. Stephen's church, Burmantofts, Leeds, 

was erected this year, at the cost of about £3,000, of which 
£2,000 was granted by the Clrarch Baiiding Society, and 
£500 by the Ripon Diocesan Society. It is in the geomet- 
rical style, with a bell, which is at the w^est end. It has 
recently been made a vicarage, under the vicarage act, A 
vlcarage-hoiise was built in 1856, towards which £800 was 
raised by subscription, and £600 granted by the trustees of 
the late Mrs. Matthewman, who have also endowed the 
church with £150 per annum. The Rev. F. T. Rowell, 
M. A., is vicar. J. Dobson, Esq., architect. 

1855. Jan. The committee of Leeds ladies for collecting 
and forwarding to the army in the Crimea, and hospital at 
Scutaria, useful and necessary articles, had sent up to this 
time goods of the value of about £1,500. 

The Leeds You.ng Men's Christian Institute was establish- 
ed in 1855. The following agencies are in operation in this 
valuable institution : — public lectures during the winter 
months ; devotional meetings every alternate Friday and 
Sunday eveDing, conducted by various ministers and laymen ; 
an essay and conversational class every other Friday evening, 
where papers are road by members, followed by observations 
from those present ; a bible class on Sunday afternoon. 
Classesfor the study of Mathematics, German, French, Latin, 
Greek, English, Literature, and Composition, Chemistry, 
Phisiology, &c., which are cond acted by efficient teachers. 
These classes are in connexion with the Society of Arts, and 
pupils ore also prepared for the Oxford Cambridge middle- 
class school examinations. The librar}^ contains a good selec- 
tion of standard works. The reading and news room is 
supplied vjitli reviews, monthly magazines, and newspapers, 
and is open from half-past 8 a.m, to 10 p.m. The hon. 
secretaries are Mr. Alfred Goodman, Mr. Jas. Holroyd, Jun., 
Mr. Chas. S. Spence. 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 661 

1855.— Jan. 

Jan. 1st. In laying the foundation stone of the Leeds ToAvn- 
hall, a sum of £226 Us. 9d, was incurred in giving proper 
effect to the ceremony, by flags, fireworks, music, (fee. 
At a council meeting held this day, Mr. Titley so strongly 
objected to items amounting to £113 Os. 4^d., (and which 
Mr. Robt. Hall in an opinion, had stated to be illegal) that 
the amount was paid by several members of the council, 
through the town clerk. At the same meeting it was re- 
solved by thirty one against five : — 

"That the corporate common seal be affixed to an agreement fur a 
lease of Imd.s at Artliington, including certain ricrhts and privijpijp.s, 
from William Sheep.shank.s, Esq., to the mayor, aldermen, and bur- 
gesses of the said borough, and to a duplicate thereof." 

The lease was to be for 5,000 years, of 11 acres, 3 roods, 
and 7 perches of land, required for the waterworks, in the 
neighbourhood of Arthington. The council were to pay a 
yearly rent of £180. In the agreement there was a stipula- 
tion, that the stokers, and others employed at the engines 
should not gain a settlement at Ai'thington, — that the village 
of Arthington should be supplied with 4,000 gallons of v/ater 
per day, or 700,000 gallons in six months, .tc. 

On the evening of the 3rd of January, a serious accident 
occurred to a Great Northern Railway train, within a short 
distance of the Leeds Central Station, by which a passenger 
carriage was thrown from the viaduct, upon a goods v/aLgon 
twenty seven feet below. The late Robert Hall, Esq. , Re- 
corder of Doncaster, and Deputy Recorder of Leeds, sus- 
tained injuries of the most extensive and dangerous character ; 
whilst other passengers were injured, though not serioiisly. 
The accident was caused by some irregularities on the points, 
which threw the fore part of the train off" the line. The 
carriage in which Mr. Hall was seated was the one to run 
over the viaduct. The carriage itself was a complete wreck, 
the roof, sides, and ends beiug broken into splinters, and 
scattered in all directions. Mr. Hall's inj:iries were, wound 
of the scalp, and severe bruise of the head, svith fracture of 
the right arm, right thigh, left leg, and left fore arm, be- 
sides several other bruises. At the York assizes on the 21st 
of July following, jMr. Hall recovered £4,500 damages from 
the company. 8th. An Irishwoman named Mary Bless- 
ing, residing in Gay-lane, Otley, committed a most savage 
and brutal murder. Her victim was an old man 84 ye;)rs of 
age, named Francis Blessing, the u.ncle of her husband. She 
killed the poor man by striking him on tlie head with a 

56 



662 AJfNALS OF LEEDS, YORK AND 

1855.— Jan. 

hammer. She was tried at York on the 14th of March fol- 
lowing ; found guilty of manslaughter, and sentenced to 
transportation for life. 11th. The Earl of Carlisle de- 
livered a most eloquent lecture on " The Poetry of Gray," 
at SL George's Hall, Bradford, on behalf of the Early 

Closing Association of that town. 14tli. Sir George 

Wombwell — whose ancestors resided for centuries at the old 
Hall at Wombwell, near Barnsley, and whose descendants 
still possess large estates in the township of Wombwell, 
Monk Bretton, (fee, — was found dead in his bed, at his town 
residence in George -street, Hanover-square. The deceased 

was in his 53rd year. —15th. A testimonial consisting of 

a purse containing £50, and a handsome silver tea and coffee 
service, was presented to Mr. William Pearson, assistant- 
librarian to the Leeds Mechanics' Institution and Literary 
Society, by Mr. Richardson, mayor, on belialf of 361 mem- 
bers and subscribers, for valuable and faithful services ren- 
dered to the Institution during a period of ten years. 

16th. A very strong frost commenced, and prevailed for 
about six weeks. The river Aire was frozen over, and 
afforded good skating above Leeds. Inland navigation was 
entirely suspended. The working classes in Leeds and other 
towns were subject to many privations, owing to the dear- 
ness of food and bad trade. In London 10,000 dock porters- 
were out of emplo3mient, and such was their suffering that 
bread riots occurred at tlie east end of the town. 

17th. Richard Cobden, Esq., M.P. for the West-Riding, 
addressed with great ability a large meeting of the inhabitants 
of Leeds, in the Coloured Cloth-hall yard, against the war 
with Russia. Francis Carbutt, Esq. presided. After Mr. 
Cobden's address, J. G. Marshall, Esq., proposed, and 
Edward Baines, Esq. seconded the following resolution,^ 
which was carried in opposition to an amendment for peace, 
by a large majority : — 

" That in the opinion of this meeting the war in which En^l ind and 
France are ncv engaged with Russia is a just contest, forced upon 
theui by the outrageous aggression of the latter povvcr, upon the Turk- 
ish empire, and is intended to check a spirit of aggrandizement on the 
part of the Czar, which threatens tlie independence of* other nations ; 
and tliis meeting is of opinion that the war ought to heprospcuted with 
the ufmas't vigour, until safe and lionourable terms of peace can be 
obtained." 

IQth. The Leeds Licensed Victuallers' Protection Society 
held their first annual dinner at the White Horse Hotel, 
Boar-lane, Leeds, to which about 220 gentlemen sat down, 
under the ijresidcr.cy of Peter Fairbairii, Emm. 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 063 

1855.— J AX. 

21st. Tlie Rev. Dr. Beaumont, an eminent minister oi the 
Wesleyan body, died suddenly, whilst in the act of com- 
mencing service in Waltham-street chapel, Hull. The de- 
ceased was in the 01st year of his age, and the 42nd of his 

ministry. 29th. The Aberdeen ministry was defeated 

in the house of commons, by 305 to 148, in favour of Mr. 
Roebuck's motion for a committee of enquiry into the state 
of the arni}^ before Sebastopol, and into the conduct of the 
war department. The ministry resigned, and was succeeded 
by one with Lord Palmerston as first Lord of the treasury. 

Feb. 2uth. At the annual soiree of the Leeds Madrigal 
and IMotet Society, held at St. George's national school, the 
members presented a very handsome testimonial to Mr. 
Sj)ark, the founder and conductor of the society, consisting 
of a splendid time piece, with solid black marble pediment, 
with bronze bas-reliefs, and surmounted by a larg6 figure of 
Sappho in bronze. An elegant ivory baton was also in- 
cluded in the testimonial. 20th. Lord John Russell 

left London to attend the peace conference at Vienna. On 
the same day died Joseph Hume, Esq., M.P. for Montrose, 
aged 78, one of the most upright and useful reformers this 
country ever possessed. 

]March 2nd. Nicholas, the Emperor of Russia died of 
apoplexy, after an attack of influenza. He was succeeded by 
his eldest son Alexander 11. 

The 21st of !Marcli was kept as a day of solemn fast, 
humiliation, and prayer. 

30th. At a special meeting of the Leeds town council, a 
vote of thanks was passed to Mr. Smith, the l»oroi'.gh 
treasurer, as follows : — 

" That the thanks of this council are eminently due, and are hereby 
given to .John Smith, Ksq., fur his valuable services during a peiiod 
of eishteen year.><, as treasurer of the borough ofLeed.-s." 

At a previous meeting of the council it was decided to 
appoint a treasurer at a salary of £300 per an n Tin), and at 
the present meeting Mr. William Whitehead, chief clerk to 
the Board of Works, was appointed to the office. 

31st. Died in the 39th year of her age, Charlotte, the 
wife of the Rev. Arthur Bell NichoUs, and daughter of the 
Rev. Patrick Bronte, incumbent of Haworth, who under 
the name of Currer Bell, has established a lasting reputation 
as the authoress of Jane Eyre, Shirley, Villette, and other 
works. Her life is full of interest, as that of an intellectual 
woman combating with adverse fortune, and determined to 
win her wav in the world. She tried in vain to obtain a sub- 



664 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1855 — March. 

sisteiice as a governess, and afterwards by keeping a scliool 
at Haworth. She then took to literature. As soon as she 
could write, she began to write tales, and at the age of four- 
teen had in manuscript twenty two volumes of her own 
composition. In 1846 she published a volume of poems, the 
joint composition of herself and her sisters Emily and Anne, 
under the title of "Poems by Currer, Ellis, and Acton 
Bell," the names being selected with a view to conceal their 
sex. In the following year she published Jane Eyre, a work 
that had an immense success, and thoroughly established her 
reputation. Her future works had also a ready and immense 
sale. She married on the last day of June, 1854, and on 
the last day of the following March, while her heart beat 
with the hopes of a mother, she was dead. "Oh, I am 
not going to die, " were the last words she uttered to her 
husband, as she awoke from her stupor — " I am not going 
to die, am I '? He will not separate us, we have been so 
happy. " Her sisters Emily and Anne had preceeded her to 
the grave, the former in 1848, and the latter in 1849. 

Guardians of the poor for the township of Leeds, elected 
April 5th, 1855:— 

Those ill brackets were elected. 

East, [William Wray, and William Brown.] Kirkgate, 

[Ricliard Stead, and Thomas Phillips] MlLL-Hll L, [John Pat- 
rick, 468, Leonard Hicks, 444, John Woodhe id, 393,] Darnton 

Lupton, 173, Anthony Tifley, 14;. Norih, [Nathaniel Sharpe, 

and Samnel Myer-^.] Nor th-Easp, [S<imut-1 Lawson, 156, Wm. 

Middleton, 14(>,1 Benjamiti Dixon, 10-2, Richard Moat, 90. 

NoRiH Wrst, [Richard Simpson, and David Newton] South, 

[Wm Chadwick, 131, William Kirk, 74,] William Jackson, 64. 

Wkst, [George Tatham, Thomas Tilney, and Henry Dufton.] Rich- 
ard Stead was elected chairman. 

April I'rth to the 21st, the Emperor and Empress of 
the French, were on a visit to Queen Victoria at Windsor 

Castle. 18th. The centenary Jubilee of the Moravian 

church, was celebrated at Fulneck. On Sunday the 29th 

of April and the three following days, a series of highly in- 
teresting services and a soiree, took place in Qaeen-street 
chapel, Leeds, to commemorate the centenary of the forma- 
tion of congregational independency in Leeds. 

May 7th, Mr. George Thompson late M. P.for the Tower 
HamLjts, delivered a lecture in the Music-hall Leeds, on 
"The War, its antecedents, crigin, results and probable 
issues," in which, he strongly urged the audience to unite in 
demanding, that the war should be abandoned as soon as j)os- 



THE SURROL'XDIXG DISTRICT. 6Q5 

1855— May. 

sible. On the motion of Mr. Conncilior Carter, a resolution 
was carried, to prosecute the war with vigour until Hussia 
gave a material guarantee against future aggi-ession. 

8th. 5,000 Sardinians under General Marmora arrived in 
the Crimea. 11th. The ceremony of laying the founda- 
tion stone of the new works at Arthiugton, for giving an 
additional supply of water to the borough of Leeds, by pump- 
ing from the river Wharfe, took place this day. The stone 
was laid by Mr. Alderman Hepper, chairman of the water 

works committee. 15th. The foundation stone of Saint 

Columba's church "Woodhouse-lane, Leeds, in connexion with 
the synod of the Presbyterian church, in England, was laid 
by William Mac'eod, Esq. M.D., of Ben Rhydding. It is a 
handsome stone structure situated on an elevated position, 
and presents an object of architectural beauty, from various 
parts of the neighbourhood in which it stands. The style 

is the early English with a tower and spire. 18th. The 

Queen publicly distributed Crimean medals to 500 brave 
soldiers and sailors, who had returned from the seat of war, 

on the St. James' Parade, London. 30th. The eighteenth 

annual meeting of the Yorkshire Union of Mechanics' Insti- 
tutes took place at York, under the presidency' of Lord 
Goderich, M.P. On the following day a splendid banquet 
was given to his lordship by his constituents at Huddersfield. 

From June 7th to the ISth, there was terrible fighting 
before Sebastopol. The Quarries, and tlie Mamelon, were 
both captured, but the assault of the Malakoft, and tte 
Redan, was unsuccessful. 

June 18th. From the report of the Sebastopol committee, 
brought into the House of Commons this day, it appeared 
that the army, during a period of several weeks, from the 
middle of November, 1854, was exposed to all the sufferings 
and inconveniences of cold, rain, mud, and snow, on high 
ground, and in the depth of winter, — that they had suffered 
from overwork, exposure, want of clothing, insufiicieut 
suppUes for the healthy, and imperfect accommodation for the 
sick, the latter had not even the commonest necessaries of 
life, even of bedding, as well as medicme and medicinal 
comforts, — that the hospitals at Scutaria were in a luost 
filthy condition, that cargoes of goods sent to the Crimea 
had never arrived, and that the cargoes which had arrived 
could not be conveyed to the camp, for want of a road. 
After the hurricane in November the supply of forage failed, 
and under the combined effects of overwork", cxposurt'. and 
want, the cavalry cea.sed to exist as an efiective force. The 



666 ANXALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

185.'). —June. 

committee could not bring this great neglect home to any- 
body. It appeared to be more the system than the men. 
When the army landed in the Crimea, the Cabinet in Eng- 
land had expected that Sebastopol would have fallen imme- 
diately by a coup de main, a mistake that was shared in by 
the people generally. More than once the nation exulted 
at the downfall of Sebastopol, and in a few hours the news 
was found to be premature, 

28tli. Field Marshal Lord Raglan, died in the Crimea, 
aged 67. He was succeeded by General Simpson. 

30th. The repeal of the newspaper stamp duty, came into 
operation this day, and caused a change in the price, and in 
many cases in the character of almost every newspaper in 
the kingdom. Daily penuy papers were started at Manches- 
ter, Liverpool and other places. The Leeds Mercury was 
published from Tuesday the 3rd of July, three days in the 
week, namely, on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. 

July 2nd. Some alarm having been created in the town of 
Leeds, by a proposed encampment of the militia on Wood- 
house moor, a public meeting was held at the Court-house, 
at which tlie mayor presided, to pass resolutions to the 
Lords of the manor, asking them to withold their sanction 

to such encampment. The trustees of the Leeds Free 

Grammar School, with Dr. Hook as chairman, did great 
service to the cause of popuhxr education, by extending the 
basis of the system of teaching at the school, so as to meet 
the needs of a class very numerous in the town. The new 
plan established two distinct departments, one with aji ox- 
tended course, comprising all the requisites of a first rate 
education ; the second requiring a shorter time, and seeking 
only to give a thorough grammatical and commercial train- 
ing, to lit boys for trades, and the lower kinds of office 
work. In both departments, modern languages were to 

form a regular part of the school system. 16th. The 

Leeds and Yorkshire Daily Exfyrcss, published by Mr. 
Frederick Hobson, was given up after a fourteen days ex- 
istence. 18th. The Eev. S. Sunderland, vicar of Penis- 
tone, Yorkshire, was killed by the upsetting of an omnibus 

between Chatsworth and Rowsley. 23rd. There was a 

destructive thunderstorm and flood at Halifax and neigh- 
bourhood ; two lives were lost. 26th. The 112th annual 

Wesleyan Methodist Conference was held at Leeds. 

31st. The House of Commons voted £10,000 to Captain 
M'Clure, and the crew of the Investigator for the discovery 
of the n(^:''!'-"-03t ^rissage. 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 667 

855. — Aug. 

August 2nd. Tlie Hou. M. T. Baines, resigned the office 
of President of the Poor-law Board, owing to ill health. 

9th. Sweaborg, in the Gulf of Finland, was pounded, 
burnt, and destroyed, by the fleets of England and France. 

On the 16th of August, the long threatened attack of the 
Russians on the Tcheruaya line took place, and ended in the 
complete defeat of the enemy, with the loss of 6,000 Rus- 
sians, including 600 prisoners, whilst on the part of the 
French and Sardinians, it did not amount to more than 

1,000 men. ISth. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert 

arrived in Paris, on a visit to the Emperor of the French. 
Her ]\Iajesty and the Prince returned to England on the 

27th. 18th. The erection and occupation of the new 

Leeds Mercury Offices in Albion-street, was commemorated 
by a dinner at Gascoigne's Hotel, High Harrogate, given by 
the proprietors, to the statF in the several departments of 

the establishment. SOtli. Died, aged 59, Mr. Feargus 

O'Connor, the once popular chartist leader. 

On Wednesday, the 5th of September, the allied batteries 
opened for the sixth time on Sebastopol, and the last 
BOMBARDMENT Commenced. At noon on the 8th, the great 
assault by the English and French took place. The French 
took the Malakoff, but the English were repulsed from the 
Redan. During the night, the Prussians evacuated the north 
side of Sebastopol. They had stored up combustibles in 
the principal houses of the town, which they fired, so that 
they left the place a mass of blazing ruins. The siege had 
occui)ied eleven montiis, or from I7t]i of October, 1854, to 
8th of Se^Dtember, 1855. The total loss of the allies on the 
8th, was British killed 335, v%^ou7ided 1,886, missing 176, 
total 2,447. French killed 1,634, wounded 4,513, missing 
1,410, total 7,557. Total 10,004. Russians killed 2,684, 
wounded 7,245, missing 1,763, total 11,692. 

Sept. 7th. Died, aged 82, Joshua Bovver, Esq., at his 
residence, Hillidge House, Hunslet. The deceased v»t^s well 
known for the conspicious part lie had taken in most of the 
political movements of the present century, and was always 
a welcome speaker at public meetings, uttering sound truths 
in Saxon English, and accompaning them with illustrations 
at which the most fastidious were compelled to smile for 
their quaintnesS, and applaud for their point. j\Ir. Bower 
was a Radical in politics. He was a candidate for the repre- 
sentation of Leeds at the election of 1834, and obtained the 
largest show of hands on Woodhouse moor, but was defeated 
at tli*^ vnT]. Ho was a member of the toAvn council for 



668 ANXALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 
1855.— SEPr 

the Hunslet ward, from the passing of the municipal reform 
act in 1835, and held the office of alderman for the borough 
from Nov, 1S44, Mr. Bower was the architect of his own 
fortune, and succeeded in amassing a large fortune, and 
giving employment to hundreds of the inhabitants of Hun- 
slet. 15th. Kirkstall Abbey was the scene of a most 

gratifying event — no less than 1,500 pei-sons, consisting of 
the workpeople, and the families of the workpeople em- 
ployed by the Kirkstall Forge Company, having assembled 
there, for the purpose of presenting a testimonial of respect 
and esteem to George Skirrow Beecroft, Esq., of Abbey 
House, on the occasion of his retirement from active part- 
nership in the Kirkstall Forge Company. The testimonial 
consisted of a massive silver tureen, from the establishment 
of Messrs. Hirst; Briggate, and bore the following inscrip- 
tion ; — 

"Presented to George Skirrow Beecroft, Esq., by the workmea 
employed at Kirkstall Forge, as an exprefs^ion of their re.«<peft, 
esteem, and sincere good wishes, on hi.«< retirement from the firm of 
Beecroft, Butler, and Co. Sept. 15th, 1855." 

On the 10th of September, the telegraph announced the 
news of the fall of Sebastopol, which produced the liveliest 
sensations in all parts of the kingdom. In Leeds the bells 
of the parish church rang a merry peal nearly all night. 
For several days the joy of the inhabitants was unbovinded. 
Bands of music paraded the streets. In the evenings es- 
pecially the excitement was very great, and an immense 
quantity of fireworks and coloured fires were let ofi" in Brig- 
gate, and other streets. There was scarcely a warehouse, 
shop, or private house, without a banner or flag hung out ; 
many of them reaUy handsome, and bearing appropriate 
devices and inscriptions. Two or three immense banners 
were hung across Briggate ; "a monster tricoloured one was 
thrown across the north end of Leeds Bridge, bearing the 
words " Honour to the Allies. " Mr. Appleby exhibited in 
front of his shop in Briggate. the head of a bear, stufled, 
and muzzled, with a flag suspended a,bove it, inscribed " The 
Russian Bear muzzled at last." 

GnAND Illumination. — The mayor and town council 
recommended the inhabitants to illuminate their houses on 
Monday the 17th, in honour of the event, which was re- 
sx3ond8d to with an alacrity that was little less than mar%'ell- 
ous. Every street, every house, almost every window 
streamed forth light — sometimes in a blare, sometimes iu a 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 069 

1 855.— S KPT. 

feeble flicker, sometimes nakedly, sometimes backed by- 
graceful decorations, according as the wealth, taste, or op- 
portunity of the occupier suggested. The principal streets 
"were a blaze of light. Stars, crescents, the initials of the 
allied Sovereigns, the names consecrated by common vic- 
tories, the heroes fallen in glorious fight, — these glowed in a 
thousand diflerent devices and forms, from amidst the stream- 
ing banners that floated before the houses. Every public 
building cast its glare of light across the street. Inside and 
outside, by lamps, gas jets, candles, — by transparencies, or 
by brilliant devices, the joy of the people shone out in let- 
ters of light — everywhere their enthusiasm was manifested 
for the victory, their gratitude to the victors. The number 
of people assembled in the streets was really extraordinary, 
and the pressure was frequently almost unbearable ; still 
every inconvenience was borne with the utmost cheerfulness 
and good temper. The A'ast masses " kept mo-^dng," as well 
as circumstances would permit ; and repeatedly and heartily 
cheered the best devices. Towards midnight the streets be- 
came easily passable ; the illumination was at an end — one of 
the most memorable days that Leeds had seen, was numbered 
among the past. The rejoicings were not confined to the 
town alone, all the out-townships exhibited great joy and 
enthusiasm. Hunslet and Kirkstall deferred the illumina- 
tion until the evening of the 18th, and Bramley until the 
evening following. iNTearly about the same time there was 
scarcely a town or village in the kingdom, but what exhibit- 
ed the same demonstrations of rejoicing. 

28th. The Leeds town council passed a resolution by 
thirty four against seven, authorizing the moors and waste 
lands' committee of the council : — 

" To ent-^r into a provisional agreement for the purchase of the 
rieht>' of the Lord.s of the m;iuor, in the parts of Woodhou.se and 
Holheck moor.«, at the price namer], viz.: — For Woodhou.se .£*.3,00(), 
and Holheck .£'1.000; and also that application he made to parliament 
to authori.^e the.se purcha.*:e.s, and the purchase of the copyholds on 
"Wondhon.«e moor, and to extinguish the alleged commonable rights on 
"Wondhouse and Holheck moors, and that in the same hill po'.ver be 
taken to purchase Hnnslet moor; and that the cost of the respective 
pureha.ses be charged upon the townships where the moors are situated." 

At the same meeting Mr. Edward Filliter was appointed 
borough surveyor, in the place of Mr. Tilney, resigned. 

During a few days, about the end of Sept., an extraor- 
dinary plague of flies, (the black winged aphis) prevailed in 
different parts of the country. Persons who had occasion to 



670 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1855.— Oct. 

travel between Headingley and Leeds, found it almost im- 
possible to avoid having tlieir nostrils and mouths filled with 
the insects. They adhered to the apparel so thickly, as com- 
pletely to cover some parts of it. 

Oct. 1st. Amongst the attractions at the Leeds Royal 
Gardens, this day, was a grand Baby Show, prizes being 
awarded to the possessors of the finest babies. 

10th. The Leeds toAvn council memorialized her majesty 
^'to hear and inquire into the claims of Leeds, before any 
order be made, tliat the assizes and gaol deliveries for the 
West-Riding of Yorkshire be held at Wakefield instead of 
York." On the 17th, the Wakefield town council adopted a 

memorial in favour of their town. 22ud. LordWliarn- 

clitfe died, aged 54, at his seat, Wortley-hall, near Sheffield. 
He was a nobleman of high character and spirit, and of 
excellent business talents. In 1811 he was re burned for the 
West- Riding of Yorkshire, along with Mr. Beckett Denison, 
by a large majority over Lords Morpeth and Milton — having 
previously been twice defeated by Lord Morpeth. His eldest 
son, the Hon. E. M. Stuart Wortley, (who had married the 
second daughter of the Earl of Harewood,) succeeded to the 

title and estates. On the same day died aged 45, Sir 

William Molesworth, secretary of state for the Colonies. 
From 1837 till 1841, he represented Leeds in conjunction 
with the late Mr. E. Baines. He was a man of a bold and ener- 
getic character, with great talents, extraordinary pov/er of ac- 
qTiiring knowledge, a retentive memory, a logical head, and 
a strong taste for politics and public speaking. His scholar- 
ship and intellectual activity, is evinced by his translation 
of the Latin works of Hobbes the philosopher. 
LEEDS MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS, Noi'ember 1st, 1855. 
Those in brackets were elected. 

Mill-Hill, [AntJion^- Titley, L, 296, EdnMn Irwin, C, 296,] 

Henry Ludo!!', L, 2/4, Thomas Newsani, C, 274-. West. [George 

Brook, L, 610, J. O March. L, 3i2.] John Ardill, 1{, 303. • 

INorth-Wrst, I J. M. Barret.] North, [William Watson, L, 

364.] W T. Bullaii'l, C, 345. North- East, [Benjamin Dixon, 

C ] East, [Samuel Idle, C,517,] Joseph Lobley,L, 516. Kirk- 
oat k, [Charles Crabfree, C, 189,j Samnel Higiiias, L, 13;^. 

South, [William Kirk, L.] Huxslet, [Enoch Blackburne, L.] 

Ht)LBECis, [Thas. Sheldon, L, and R. L. Armstrong, L.] 

BnAMi.KY, [Samuel Ma^giave, L, and Matthew Mo.s.s, L] 

Headingley, [Robert White, C] 

Nov 9th. Thom;^.s Willingfton Gt-orge, E.sq., was elected mayor. 

Sept. 24th. We.st Ward, vice T W. George, made an alderman in 
place of Mr. Bovver deceased, [James Reflitt, L.l 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 671 

1855. — Nov. 

Nov. 6th. This Avas a memorable day in the annals of 
Bradford, occasioned by the inauguration of the statue of the 
late Sir Robert Peel, b}' Beliens the eminent sculptor. It is 
of bronze and is 1 1ft. 6in. high ; was cast in one mass at the 
foundry of Messrs. ILobinson and Tatham of London. It 
stands upon a circular pedestal of Bramley stone resting upon 
an octagon, and bearing the simple inscription" Peel." The 
pedestal is 13 feet high, and was erected by Messrs. Burnley 
and Sons, Bradford. The number of persons present to wit- 
ness the ceremony Avas computed at 30,000. TJie total cost 
of the memorial was £3,200, viz. £1,000 for the statue and 
£2,200 for the land, &c. 

9th. Tlie corporate common seal of the borough of Leeds 
was affixed to an agreement betwen the Lords of the manor, 
and the mayor, aldermen, and burgesses of the borough, for 

the sale and purchase of Woodhouse moor, 19th. One 

of the most admirable exhibitions of works of art, articles 
of vc,}ii(^ and specimens of art-workmanship, ever held in 
Leeds, was opened at tlie Scliool of Practical Art, South- 
parade, by a conversazione, presided over by Dr. Hook, 
which was attended by members of most of the leading fami- 
lies of the town. The two rooms devoted to the works of 
decorative art, and articles of vertit, from the private col- 
lection of her majesty, and the museum oi Marlbrough 
House, caused the most attraction.' 31st. The Wel- 
lington statue was placed in front of the Leeds Town-hall. 

Dec. 4th. Sir Joseph Paxton, M.P., read a paper before 
the members of the Leeds Philosophical Society, "On the 
grov.'th of London, and other large towns, with suggestions 
for their better architectural arrangement, internal commu- 
nication, and sanataiy improvement." 

5th. St. Barnabas' church. Sweet-street, Holbeck, was 
consecrated by the Lord Bishop of Ripon. It is a 
Gothic structure, in the middle pointed or decorated style of 
architecture. It was built at a cost of £3,000. The stone 
pulpit, font, and other fittings, are exceedingly cliastc and 
appropriate. There are 700 sittings, with stalls in the chan- 
cel, and a great proportion of tlie seats are free. The win- 
dows are glazed with tinted catliedral glass, and after day- 
light, the edifice is lighted up by sun lights in the centre 
roofs, probably the first instance in which this mode of 
lighting has been applied to an ecclesiastical building in this 
part of the country. The pulpit was presented by the par- 
ishioners, and the font by the children and teachers of the 
day and Sunday-schools. The living is a perpetual curacy, 



672 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1855.— Dec. 

valued at £150, in the alternate patronage of the crown and 

the Bishop of Ripon, and in the incumbency of the Rev. 

N. Greenwell, B.A.- The inhabitants of Leeds were 

subject to considerable inconvenience, from a restricted 
supply of water, the water being given only two or three 

times a week, The Leeds West-end People's Institute 

was formed, mainly through the exertions of Mr. Hole, 
assisted by the subscriptions of the West-end employers and 
others. 

1856. Jan. 3rd. Died, aged 55, Mr. Cawthra, a vocalist 
who for many years occupied the position of principal tenor 

in Leeds. 12th. The pianoforte manufactory of Messrs. 

J. and J. Hopkinson, (of Leeds,) sitviate in Diana-place, 
New-Road-street, Marylebone, London, was comj)letely de- 
stroyed by fire, with a large stock of instruments, and all 
the workjnen's tools. In about a fortnight after the fire, 
the eastern and south-eastern walls of the premises were 
blown down by the wind, destroying three houses, and in- 
juring several persons, besides killing a poor woman named 
Saunders, 12th, A murderous conflict took place be- 
tween a gang of robbers, who were breaking into Messrs, 
Crowther and Go's. , woollen mill, Churwell, and a party of 
constables and their assistants. The latter succeeded in 
taking four of the thieves, namely John Briggs, William 
Cain, John Pickard, and James Marsden, who were each 
sentenced to eight years penal servitude, at York, on the 
14th of March following. In the affray, David Steel, one 
of the thieves was sliot in the thigh, and died in about 

twenty four hours after, 14th, Three young men of 

respectable connexions, named John Jennings, Henry Bailey, 
and Samuel Allen, were brought before the Leeds magis- 
trates on a charge of breaking into the nunnery. Cross-green- 
lane, York-road, They had been drinking at public houses 
until late, and for a lark made a midnight intrusion into the 
nunnery. The afiair was settled on their agreeing to pay 
£5 each to the Infirmary. 

21st. Died, aged 75, Benjamin Gaskell, Esq., of Thornes 
House, Wa^cefield. A monument has been erected in West- 
gate chapel to his memory, by his son Milnes Gaskell, Esq., 
M.P, .. It was executed by Bedford, of London, and consists 
of a tablet in white marble on black, surmounted by the 
family crest, and bears the following inscription : — 

"To the honoured and Limented memoiy of Renjainin Gaskel ], Rsq 
of" Thornes House, for manj^ years one of the representntive^ jo p-^r- 



THE SUEROUXDIXG DISTRICT. 673 

]S56.— Jan. 

liament of tlip borough of MalJon. Born Feb. 28th, l"*^!, (lied Jan. 
21sr, 1856. Liberal, compa.s.>ionaLe, >ingle-niincle'l, gentle, unassu- 
ming, true; he was held in rt^specc an! affei-tion by all wb i knew 
him, during a long and blaiaele.ss life. This tablet is erected by hi.<5 
sorrowing and loving .son." 

22iicl, A splendid baurjuet was given at Halifax, in liononr 
of Captain Slocks, of the 1st Roval Dragoons, for liis gallan- 
try in the Crimea. 2Gth. Died, aged 07, William Wil- 
liams Brown, Esq., of Leeds. He was well known as being 
the head of one of the only two private banking establish- 
ments now remaining in Leetls. Between forty and fift}^ 
years ago he joined in establishing tlie firms of Nicholson, 
Brown, and Co., of Leeds, and Nicholson, Janson, and 
Co. , London ; and he subsequently became the head of the 
firms of AYii). Wms. Brown, and Co., and Brown, Janson, 
and Co., wliich succeeded them, and which are now in de- 
served repute, as among the most respectable banking houses 
in the country. Mr. Brown was a very judicious, cautious, 
and skilful banker. He was of very courteous manners, 
but of a retiring disposition. He was a magistrate for the 
borough of Leeds, and also for the West -Hiding. 

26tli. Died suddenly, after entering a cab, aged 51. Mr. 
John Beckwith, clerk to the Leeds Board of Guardians. He 
was a man of considerable ability, which was displayed 
both in his writing for the press, and in his management of 
the business of the poor law guardians. He was formerly 
the reporter to the Leeds Intelligencer, and was one of the 
oldest reporters in the tov.Ti. As a local politician he exer- 
cised considerable influence amongst the conservative party. 
Mr. Henrj^ Lampen was appointed clerk in his place, on the 
13th of February following. 

30th. A testimonial consisting of a very handsome time- 
piece, accompanied Avith silver tea and cotfee pot and salver, 
was presented to Mr. Snowdon, solicitor, Leeds, by the 
shareholders of the Leeds Commercial Banking Company, 
bearing the following inscription : — 

" Presented with .silver tea and coifee pof, and Salver, to Henry 
Snowden, Esq , ssolicitor, hy directors, and other proprietors of 'The 
Leeds Commercial Banking Conipjiny,' (dis-^oived January 30th, lv5(5) 
in testimony of their hitih estimation of liis p ofe.ssional .services." 

Feb. Died, aged 83, in the Infirmary of the Queen's 
Bench Prison, John Dufreni, for many years a merchant in 
Leeds. He had been confined in prison forty three years, for 
having refused to answer questions under a commission of 

bankruptcy taken oiit against him. 4th. The organ, 

57 



674 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1856.— Frb. 

and a great part of the roof of Beeston cliurcli, were de- 
stroyed by fire. The disaster was attributed to the over- 
heating of the flues. 6th. The re-election for Leeds, of 

the Pvt. Hon. M. T. Baines, rendered necessary by his 
acceptance on the 24tli of Nov. previous, of the officv^ of 
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, took place this day 
in the Coloured Cloth-hall yard. Mr. Alderm;iii Shaw pro- 
posed, and Mr. Alderman Wilson seconded the nomination. 
'No other candidate being proposed he v/as declared to be 

duly elected. 13th. The corporate common seal of the 

borough of Leeds, was afiixed to an agreement with the vicar 
of Leeds, for dedicating part of llegent-street to public use ; 
and that i>art of Regent-street which extends from Lilac- 
terrace to Skinner-lane, was declared to be a public highway. 

27th. The congregation and friends of the He v. Wm. 
Hudswell^ pastor of Salem Independent chapel, and the 
senior congregational minister at this time officiating in 
Leeds, invited him to the Stock Exchange, Albion-street, 
for the purpose of presenting him with a testimonial of their 
esteem. TJie presentation was prefaced by a tea, to which 
about 200 persons sat down. The testimonial consisted of a 
very handsome silver tray, tea and coffee pots, cream ev/er, 
and sugar basin ; together with a handsome silk purse con- 
taining 100 guineas. The plate cost forty eight guineas, and 
bears the following inscription : — 

"This richly chased Lnnis Quatorze patterf) silver tea and coffee 
service, with a purse of 100 guineas, were preseiited to the Rev W. 
Hud^well, by the church and congregation assembling in Salem 
chapel, as a mark of their high e.'^teein, and in grateful ackp.o^de.lge- 
ment of his Ions' and faithful services as their pastor, during a period 
of twenty three years. Leeds, Feb "i/th, 1856." 

A purse of thirty guineas was also presented to Mrs. 
Hudswell. 

March 1st. Harriet Dove, daughter of Mr. Jenkins of 
Bramhope, aged 28, the v.ife of William Dove, Cardigan- 
place, Kirkstall-road, Leeds, died in great agony, under 
circumstances which left no doubt but that she had been 
poisoned. A post mortem examination by Mr. Morley, and 
Mr. Nuunely, surgeons, showed clearly that she ha.d died from 
the effects of strychnia. Mr. Dove, the husband, was taken 
into custody on suspicion of having administered the poison. 
After a four days' inquest before John Blackbuin, Esq., 
borough coroner, the jury returned the followiug verdict : — 
*' We find that Harriet Dove has died from the effects of 
strychnia, wilfully administered b}^ her husband William 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 675 

1856— M.AncH. 

Dove.'" He avas jiccuYiingly committed to York castle on a 
clmrge of wilful murder. The trial commenced on the IGtli of 
July, before Baron Bramwell. The counselfor the prosecntion 
were Mr. Ovevend. Q.C., Mr. Hardy, n,nd Mr. Bailey. For 
the defence, Mr. Bliss, Q.C., Mr. "^ Serjeant Wilkins, Mr. 
HalJ, and Mr. IMiddleto:!. Tlie prosecution \vas got v.p by 
Bertie Markland, Esq., of Leeds. J. M. Barrett, Esq., 
of Leeds had the mimageineut of the prisoners defence. 
Tlie trial occupied four d:iys. The evidence of the prosecu- 
tion established beyond doubt, that the jn^isoner had caused 
his Avife's death by a series of five or six doses of strychnia, 
cidniinistered during as many days. It v/as shown that the 
priscmer had lived unhaj^pily with his v.dfe — that he had 
treat her at times with tlie greatest cruelty — that he had con- 
sulted Harrison the wizard, as t(^ getting rid of her — that he 
had got strychnia twico or three times from Mr. Morley's 
surgery, under the ]>rotencc' that he wanted to poison cats — 
tliat he aduiinistered five ti'iies the subtle drrtg, on the sixth 
occasion it proved fata]. During tiic week that he watched 
the agonies of liis wife, he ]'>retcnded lo be in the greatest dis- 
tress ; v/ept o".er. aud lamented her certain death. The de- 
fence set -."-f '-"— :r -"/"y crAe of insi-inity, and a large number 
of witnc-^: :^ ! : I to speal: to th(5 ninnberless wild and 

crazy acts c '::i::ii- ^ [ ^r the prisoner froui his earliest j^ears, 
such as : — Ins chasnig his sisters with a red hot poker, — his 
setting lire to the curtains (if his bed-rooui — his tormenting 
of cats and kitteus — h.is buying a pist(.l at twelve years of 
ago to shoot his fatlier, and Jus sc'inolniaster— his attempt 
to poison his master's horses, >'c'j., A:c. The jury found the 
prisoner .c/vnY/'/ of v-iifnl min-der : h'-.t rec!;]nuieuded him to 
mercy on th." --.-onii'l of dyfective intellect. The learned judge 
in prononjiciiig sentence (-i dc-rHi, cuitioned him n(;.t to ex- 
pect that his life would 1)0 sparer 1, altlii)i;gh lie would forward 
trie recommendation of the j'ary t^j the lu-oper ([uarter. No 
olTorb wa.s spared by the prisoners' solicitor and others to 
obtain a commutation of the sentence, but the Home fSecre- 
tary declined to interfere. Tlie unfortunate man was execu- 
ted in front of York castle, at noon, on Saturday the 9th of 
August, having previously m;ide a full coijfession of his 
guilt, stating that he was instigated to commit tlu^ crime by 
Harrison the fortune teller. He had been most carefully 
and respectably brouglit up, and Avas the son of tlie late IMr. 
Christopher Dove, of Park-square, Leeds. 

5th. The corporate seal of the borough of Leeds was afhx- 
ed to agreements Avith milloAVJiers and otluTS on the Wharfe, 



676 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK AND 

1«56.— March. 

by which power was granted to take two and a half million 
gallons of water from the river per day, for wliich the council 
was to pay an aggregate compensation of £9,G85, The town 
council on the same day decided by twenty seven to eight, to 
erect a tower to the Town-hall, the cost of which, including 
the warming and ventilation of the hall, would be £11,061. 
It was also decided to grant £'1,000 on account of the ex- 
peiise of obtaining tlie new improvement act. 

12fch. Died, aged 57, John Wilkinson, Esq., of Gledhow 
Mount, the head of the firm of John Wilkinson, and Co., 
flax spinners, of Hunslet, and one of the Leeds borough 
magistrates. Mr. Wilkinson was remarkable for his eminent 
business talents, by means of which he raised himself froni 
a comparatively humble position, to be the head of one of 
the first manufacturing establisliments in Leeds. He pos- 
sessed great sagacity, a clear and calm judgment, indefati- 
gable industry, and a very enterprisiug spirit. He was. a 
man of tlie highest honour and integrity, remarkable for a 
warm hearted and open handed beuevolence, and for zeal on 
behalf of the moral and intellectual welfare of the numerous 
workpeople in hi-^ mills. For their benefit he erected ex- 
cellent schools, Avhich he sustained in a state of great ef- 
ficiency, and at considerable expense to himself. The flax 
mills called Hunslet MilJs, were built by him, and are 
models of order and cleanliness. He was intelligently alive 
to all questions of public interest, and was a liberal in 
politics. 

16th. The empress of the French gave birth to a son. 

A fire took place at the Leeds Industrial School, whereby 
one wing of the building was destroyed. It was caused by 
four of the girls, inmates of the establishment, having 
thrust lighted matches into the aperture for ventilating the 
school-room. 24th. The first stone of the Castle How- 
ard Reformatory School was laid by Lady Mary Labouchere. 

25th. The foundation stone of Springfield Independent 
chapel at Dewsbury, Avas laid by Mr. E. Baines, of Leeds. 

26th. An Institution was founded at Halifax, known as 

the Haley-hill Working Man's College. 30th. The 

treaty of peace between Russia and the Allies was signed 
this day. The news of the event caused hearty rejoicings 
throughout the kingdom. 

April 1st. At an influential meeting in Leeds, a committee 
was appointed to consider the best means of forming a ju- 
venile reformatory. 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 077 

S56.— .^PRii- 
Giiardians of the Poor of tlie towusiiip of Leeds, elected 
April 5th, 1856. 

Those in brackets were eleered. 
East, [\Yilli,im Brown, U'6, William Wray, 158,] Henry Alexan- 
der Patterson, IJO, .lohi) TiiOinjisor, 103. KlRKftATE, rEicharr] 

Stead, 279. Chail.'.- Crabtr e, •2\>^.] Tlioaias Phillii..s-, 101, John 

Brown, 43. Georire Atlia Liiislev, 15, Tlionia»- Gret-nhow, 7- 

MiLL-Hll.L, [Wm. Eonrh, Sb/, Lt^o lard Hicks, 368, William 
Clarke, 34/.] Aml.ony Titley, 143, Kol ert Lawson Ford, 137, Thrs. 

Edward Flint, 111. North, LNathaniei Sliarpe, 281, Samuel 

Myer--, 21.'),] '1 homas Ccgill. 84, JRichard Myers, 77, James Crois- 

dale, 74. NoRin-lv\sr, iSimnel Lawson, and William iMiddle- 

ton.] NoTJiH West. [Da\id Neutun, ami Henry Bailey Legg.] 

South, [Williasn Kirk, 92, Hargreaves Hudson, 81,] Edwin 

Bray, 5>-", Silvester Frazer Jones, 4. West, [John Woodhead, 

436, Richard Vrilliam ISIoore, 436, Henry Bufton, 435,] George 
Tatham. 291, Thomas Tilnry, 2b.=3, Georce Brook, 260, William 
Holroyd, 192, William Longley, 167, William Fynn, 120. Richard 
Stead was elected chairman. 

9th. The poor law board ordered the E.ev. Solomon 
Brigg.s, chaplain at the Leeds Iiidr.strial School and work- 
house, to resign, for not liaA'ing shown proper respect to the 

guardians. 11th. Lord John Er.ssell's scheme for a 

system of national education, was defeated hy a majority of 
102 on the first resolution : — " That it is expedient to extend, 
revise, and consolidate the minutes of the committee of 

Privy Council on Education." The works of the Leeds 

Tov.Ti-hall were stopped, in consequence of a misunderstand- 
ing between Mr. Atack, the contractor, and Mr. Brodrick, 

the architect. 21st. A meeting of trustees of the Leeds 

Free Grammar School, and parents of youths' under in- 
struction, was held at tl)e Grainnj.ir School, for the purpose 
of considering the proj)riety of oi'ecting <\ new, commodious, 
and handsome building, with largo play ground attached, on 
a new and iPiore liealthy site. A resolution was adopted 

recommending the change.' 25th. In the nev\^ parish of 

Haley-hill, Halifax, a burial ground was consecrated by the 
Lord Bishop of Bipon, and the corner stone of All Saint's 
church was laid by Edward Akroyd, Esq. The gi-ound for the 
church and cemetery was given by Mr. Akroyd, and the cost of 
the cemetery chapel, as also the erection of tlie church was 
defrayed by the same gentleman. 

29th. The following gentlemen were appointed by the 
Lord Ch.ancellor on the new commission of peace, for the 
borough of Leeds, viz. : — 

Jaspph Austin, Joseph Bateson, Charles Cliadwick, M.P„H<'iivy 



678 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1856— April 

rhorley, John Ellersliavv. jun , P^ter Fairhairn, Thomas Willin^ton 
George, Kdward Irwin, James Kitson, John Wil-on. Richard Har- 
rison, John Crofts, Thomas Pridjrin Teale, and Joseph Mason Ten- 
naiit. 

This list was the same as the one recoramendecl by the town 
council on the 31st of October, 1855, Avith the exception of 
the last four named gentlemen, who had been substituted by 
the Lord Chancellor, in the place of Joseph Richardson, 
W. E. Hepper, Robert White, and Richard Wilson. 

Maj^ A beautiful marble bust of the late Benjamin Gott, 
Esq., placed upon a pedestal, executed by Mr. Joseph Gott, 
of Rome, was presented to the Leeds Philosophical and 
Literary Society, by his sons John aiid William Gott, Esqrs. 
to commemorate the great interest which was taken by the 
deceased gentleman in the early foundation, and subsequent 

success of the society. —2nd. The Leeds Musical Union 

was dissolved. 

Sunday the 4th of May was observed in all churches as a 
day of thanksgiving for the return of peace. On the 5th, 
Bramley, near Leeds, took the initiative in the peace rejoicings 
in the neighbourhood of Leeds, by an illumination, <fec. 
On the same day the official proclamation of peace took place 
at Bradford, with imposing formalities. The event was 
celebrated in Leeds on the 8th of May, and the day was ob- 
served as a general holiday. Abont one o'clock in the after- 
noon a grand military display, under the command of Major 
Pipon, R.A., took place on Woodhouse moor, in the pres- 
ence of (it was computed) at least one hundred thousand 
persons. In the evening a grand illumination took place, 
surpassing in splendour, that of September in the previous 
year. The great centre of the illumination was in Briggate, 
wh^ch from half past eight to half-past ten o'clock, presented 
a scene of dazzling brilliancy. Albion-street, Boar-lane, 
Commercial-street, Park-row, and other streets, however, 
had transparencies and gas devices, fully equal to any other 
part of the town. The display of flags and banners in the 
various streets of the town was immense. During the illu- 
mination, the j)rincipal streets were greatly crowded. Boar- 
lane was completely impassable — thousands of persons being 
frequently jammed together, incapable of either advancing 
or retreating, so that a many persons were seriously injured 
in this street. Taken as a whole, the illumination was a 
spectacle that will be long remembered for its splendour and 

brilliancy. 13th. The peace rejoicings and illumination 

took place at Hunslet, near Leeds, and amongst the at- 



THE SrRROL'XDING DISTRICT. 679 

1856.— May. 

tractions at this place, an ox was roasted whole on Hunslet 
moor, and two sheep in Potterj^-field, which were distributed 

amongst the people. Tlie rejoicings in celebration of 

peace, took place at Bradford on the same day. 

On Whit-Tuesday, the 13th of May, a great gathering of 
the Sabbath schools of Halifax and its neighbourhood, took 
place in the spacious Piece-hall of that town, the occasion 
of the assembling being to hold a fifth commemoration of 
the Sunday School Jubilee, of 1831. The display was 
altogether unique. There was an aggregate of more than 
20,000 Simday scholars, with above 4,000 of their teachers, 
between eight and nine hundred musicians, and 8,000 spec- 
tators. The event will long be remembered in Halifax. 

14th. The Leeds town council voted an address of con- 
gratulation to the Queen, on the close of the war with 

Russia. 14th and 15th. Louis Kossuth, the illustrious 

ex-governor of Hungary, gave two lectures at St. George's 
Hall, Bradford, on " The Austrian Concordat, with special 
reference to Hungarj^ in general, and the Protestantism of 
Hungary in particular ; its general political bearing and 
probable results." The same lectures were given in the 
Music-hall, Leeds, on the l(3th and 17th, the chair being 
occupied on the first night b}^ Mr. Alderman Carbutt, and 

the second night by Edvfard Baines, Esq. 19th. The 

peace rejoicings at Kirkstall took inace this day. 

On Sunday afternoon the 25th of May, and every fine 
Sunday during the summer months, a band of music per- 
formed sacred a.nd operatic music on Woodliouse moor, Leeds. 
A strong protest against the proceedings was made by the 

various religious bodies of the tovrn. 27th. William 

Palmer of Rugley, was convicted, after a fourteen daj^s trial 
at the Central Criminal Couii;, London, before Lord Cainp- 
bell, of the wilful murder of John Parson Cook, by ad- 
ministring strj'chnia. The trial excited the deepest interest 
and feeling throughout the kingdom. He was executed at 
Stafibrd on the 14th of June. Dove, the Leeds murderer, 
was said to Wive imitated Palmer in his method of getting 
rid of his victim — that is in the use of strj^chnia. 

28th. The Ilkley Wells Hydropathic Establishment was 
opened this day. It is a splendid building, situa.ted on an 
eminence just above the ".ullage of Ilkley. It is the property 
of a joint stock company, and cost more than £30,000. The 
mansion with its terraces is a spacious and most beautiful 
structure, in the Italian palazzo style, from a design by Mr. 
Brodrick, It is replete with every convenience, and contains 



680 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1856.— May. 

a noble diiiing-room, calculated to dine comfortably from 
80 to 100 guests, a large public drawing-room, a private 
drawing-room for ladies only, a coffee-room for general visi- 
tors, or those not vv'isliing to join the company at the table 
d'hote, a biiliard-rooni, thirteen private sitting rooms, and 
six bath-rooms, &c., etc. 

29th. Tlie peace rejoicings and illuminations in London, 
and in many parts of the country, took place, and by a 
happy coincidence it was the Queen's birth-day. In the sur- 
rounding villages, both in the borough of Leeds, and beyond 
its borders, the day was observed as a high holiday, and 
fetes of various kinds took place. 

In the beginning of June, a great inundation took place 
in Francs, by which a surface of country equal to 1,000 
English miles was under water. Forty thousand habitations 
were destroyed, and an immense quantity of crops which 
were apx^roaching maturity, were completely cut down. 
The loss sustained in the single item of crops, was said to be 
not less than six millions of pounds sterling. A great deal 
of sympathy towards the sufferers was felt in England, and 
public meetings were held in most large towns (Leeds, on 1st 
of July,) for the purpose of raising subscriptions for their 

relief. 4th, A very destructive lire occurred on the 

premises of Messrs. Trumble and Co., paper-hanging manu- 
facturers, York-street, Leeds. The fire raged from ten 
o'clock at niglit, till nearly four next morning. The whole 
interior, and contents of the engine house, boiler house, 
machine rooms, and workshops above, were destroyed from 
the iloor to the roof — including valuable printing and em- 
bossing machines, engine materials, &c. The origin of the 

fire was unknown. 16tli. The village of Ilkley was this day 

the scene of a most painful occurrence. A Mrs. M'Knight 
who was staying at the Hydropathic establishment at Ben 
Pv.]iyddiug, left that place about ten o'clock in the morning, 
for a walk, and proceeded to Ilkley. About twelve o'clock 
she left Ilkley to return to Ben Ilhj^dding, taking the road 
across the Covv^-pastures. From the moment of leaving Ilk- 
ley, the hapless lady was never seen alive. Between four 
and five o'clock in the afternoon, two persons in passing 
along the Cow- pastures, observed t]ie body of Mrs. Knight 
lying nearly at the bottom of the ravine. She Vv^as lying 
upon her side, with her arms on her chest and stomach, 
quite dead. Her dress was not at ail disordered or soiled, 
and her body exhibited but slight marks of external injury. 
It was strongly suspected that she met her death by some 



THE SUHKOUXDINCr DISTRICT. 681 

1S56.— July. 

gipsies, "wlio were seen iu the iieiglibonrhoocl about the time, 
and this suspicion liad an air of probability, from the fact 
that her purse and pocket handkerchief were gone. From 
superficial marks on the neck, it was strongly sns2:)ected that 
she had been unirdered by strangulation. The aflair however 
remains a mystery. 

July 2-4th, The fourth regiment of Dragoon Guards — wlio 
took such a conspicuous part in the gloriou.^ cliarge (;>f the 
heay\' brigade at Balaklava, and othcrwi-e clistinguislied 
themselves in the Crimean campaign, — arrived in Leeds, and 
met with a public and hearty reception fiom the inhabitants. 
The procession was the most imposing probably ever wit- 
nessed in Leeds, and its length was so great that it occupied 
fully half an hour in ]>;issiug a given point. Along the whole 
route, the dragoons met with a mf)st enthusiastic greeting 
from the immense concourse of people in the streets, the 
crowds filling every M-indow, covering eveiy platform, and 
occupying hundreds of roofs. The houses and shops were 
profusely decorated with flags and banners. On the arrival 
of the procession at the barracks, at two <-»'clock, Colonel 
Hodge, the oflicers, and about 200 hundred civilians sat down 
to luncheon in a handsome pavilion, erected for the purj^ose 
in the Barrack-yard. The mayor occupied tlie chair. A 
dinner was also given in the Riding school, to 400 non-com- 
missioned officers and men of the 4th Dragooji Guards, Eoyal 
Artillery, the 4th West York Militia Staft", .tc, (t-c. 

Shortly after midnight, on Friday the 25th of July, a 
most disastrous and appaling railway accident took place at 
the Clinrch Fenton Station, on the Leeds and York division 
of the North Eastern Railway. The catastrophe was caused 
by some irregularity in giving the customarj'- signal, that the 
line was clear, by reason whereof a goods train ran into a 
passenger train, shivering one second, and three third class 
carriages into fragments, killing two of the y)assengers, viz,, 
John Coupland, of Cliflbrd, near Thorparch, and Godfrey 
Braim, of Tadcaster, besides injuriug about twenty others, 
some of them seriously. The coroners' jury returned a ver- 
dict of manslaughter against George Spivey, the signal-man. 
At the winter assizes, a verdict of not gviilty Avas returned. 

Aug. 9th. An extraordinary fall of rain caused great flf)od3 
in various parts of Yorkshire, and also a serious loss of life 
and property At Leeds during the day nearl}- two inches of 
rain, or about a cpiart fell in every twelve square inches. 

26th. The second triennial musical festival took place at 
Bradford, under the direction of Mr. Costa. Mr. William 



682 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

185G.— Aug. 

Jackson of Bradford was the cliorus master. 28tli. Died at 

his residence Grove Honse, Barmantofts, Leeds, in his 78th. 
year, Mr. John Heaps, who for upwards of half a centnry took 
a prominent part ijithe political, ecclesiastical, and municipal 
affairs of the borough. The deceased was a radical in poli- 
tics and in relij^ion a Wesleyan. 30th. Major General 

the Earl of Cardigan, K. C. B. , was entertained at a grand ban- 
quet in the hall of the Stock Exchange Albion-street, Leeds, 
and was presented y/ith a splendid sword of honour whicji had 
cost about 250 guineas. Tlie sword is an elegantly cliased 
Mameluke dress sabre, with gold cross handle, and haviug two 
entablatures enamelled on the gold in the centre of the cross. 
The grip is gold, elegantly chased, and terminated by a tigers' 
head. The scabbard is double, the outer one being elabor- 
ately chased and ornamented in silver gilt, and pierced. The 
blade itself is embossed very chastely, and bears on one side 
the inscription, "Major General the Earl of Cardigan, K.C.B," 
and on tlie ofcher, " Presented by the inhabitants of York- 
shire. " The enamalled entablatures on the handle contain — 
one, the a-rms of the noble earl : — the other, the cavalry charge 
at Balaklava on the 25th, of Oct, 1854, with a portrait of his 
lordship dashing fonvard in the attack upon the Russian guns 
in position, and tlie inscription of "Balaklava, 1854." The 
sword knot is gold wire, and the belt slings are in gold wire 
and gold embroidery. The sword is enclosed in a mahogany 
case lined with white satin, G, S. Beecrof fc, Esq. had the 
honour of "inresenting the sword on behalf of the subscribers. 

30th. The registrar of births for the Rothv/ell district, 
registered four children, two girls and two boys of John and 
Mar;/ Jane Tomlinson of Tliwaite. All the children died 
within seven hours of their l)ir!:li, and Avere interred together 
in one coffia in Rothwell ch^Trcli yard. [A curious case of 
twin Vjirths is recorded in the register of the Leeds parish 
church as follows: — " Buried 1764, Jannarj' 31st, Henry and 
Elizabeth son and daughter of John Ripley. These being 
thejiflh douhl" burdm that John Ripley's wife has born to 
him one after another."] 

Sept. 3rd. Mr. Roebuck, M.P,, for Sheffield, was pre- 
sented by his constituents with a purse of 1,100 guineas, 

as a mark of respect, 4th, Mons. St. Amant, the 

French champion chess player, defeated three of the strongest 
players in the Leeds chess club, viz., Messrs. Rhodes, Cad- 
man, and Millard, lit a. A shocking murder was com- 
mitted in mid-day, at the Malt Mill Inn, Armley, near 
Leeds, the victim being a young woman named Jane Ban- 



THE SURROUXDING DISTRICT. G83 

1856.— S KPT. 

bam, the principal dancer at Wild's travelling theatre, then 
at Ai-mlev, and the mnrderer a tailor named John Hannah, 
of Manchester. The two had formerly lived together as man 
and ^vife, and it was her refusal to accompany him back to 
Manchester, that had incited him to commit the dreadful 
deed. So determined had he been to cause her death, that 
he had nearly severed her head from her body. He was com- 
mitted to York on a charge of wiKul murder, and was tried 
on the 13th of December ; found guilty, and sentenced to 
death. He was executed on the 27tli of December. 

17th. A dreadful accident occurred in the frame shop of 
Messrs. Wilson and Go's. , f oundiy, Hunslet, by the break - 
ing of a crane, which vras lifting a marine engine. Simon 
Smith, one of the workmen was killed upon the spot, and 
John Goodhall, James Downing, Reuben Tyson, were 
seriously injured, and two others also received injury. 
Downing died in a few days after the accident. 

On Sunday ev^-ning the 19th of September, a dreadful 
panic seized the congregation assembled to hear the E.ev. C. 
H. Spurgeon, at the Music-hall, in the Surrey Gardens, 
London, caused by some one making a false alarm that the 
place was on lire. The hail was immensel}- crowded at zhe 
time, and on the cry being raided, civiwds ruslied to every 
door and outlet. Persons from the gallaries in large masses 
fled to the stairs, and unfortunately the balustrading of the 
staircase gave way, precipitating several persons, five of 
whom were immediately killvd. Six persons altogether v/ere 
killed, and more than 200 received injuries more or less se- 
vere. 20th, The third anniversary of the inaugural 

festivities at Saltaire took place, when Titus Salt, Esq, , en- 
tertained 3,000 of his operatives vath a /ere champefrc, ii) his 
picturesque park at Crow Nest, near Halifax, and to a 
soiree musicah in the evening, at St, George's Hal], Brad- 
ford. The workpeople availed themselves of the occasion to 
present to Mr Salt a splendid marble bust, and appropriate 
pedestal of the same material, provided by their united sub- 
scriptions, as a lasting testimony of regard and esteem. The 
testimonial was executed by Mr. T. Milnes, sculptor, of 
London, and designed by ]\Ir, Lobley, of Bradford, and is 
an exceedingly chaste and splendid work of art. It has been 
thus described : — 

" It con.sists of a hfe-liVe bu.st ia pnri* white Carrara marble of Mr. 
Sair, re.sting upon on octajion il grey niarble p destul, stan iing upon 
a vub-}'hnth of tl.e same material, which hears appropriate and alleg- 
orical figure's. The height of tlie wliole work of art is .six teet six 



684 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1856.— Sept. 

inches. On the front of the pedestal are depicted the arm.s of" Mr. 
Salt ; at the base, on one side is the fij^ure of an alpaca, on the other 
that of a goat; they a-e botli couchcriif, and the foot and leg of the 
alpar-a overwraps a gushing cornncopia, vvhich overhangs the base be- 
neath (hf «*on.t of artiis. At the foot of the pedestal, in the centre, is 
a view of the inagnificent vvorks at Saltaire. At the back of the 
pedestal is the inscription, ''Presented to Titus Salt, Esq., by the 
workpeople in his employment, as a token of their respect and esteem. 
Saltaire, Sept. 20th, ishe." 

21st. More than £2,000 damage was done by a fire, wliicli 
broke out in Messrs. Bapty's timber yard, Wellington-street, 

Leeds. 23rd. The Lord Bisliop of Ripon laid the first 

stone of the new schools in connexion with the Leeds parish 
church. They were formally (opened by the Bishop, on the 

6th of April, 1858. 23rd. A banquet was given to 

William Miirgatroyd, Esq., in the saloon of St. George's 

Hall, Bradford, by the corporation of that town. Dr. 

Longley, the Bisliop of E-ipon, was appointed to the see of 
Durliam. The Rev. Robert Bickersteth, rector of St. 
Giles', Loudon, was appointed to his place. 

2f)th. The Leeds town council granted £2,600 for warm- 
ing and ventilating the Town-hall, on the plan of Messr,--. 
Haddan, and granted a sum not exceeding £5,000 for an 
organ for the same building. 

Oct. 14th. Jeremiah Milnes, a fish-hawker, was barbor- 
ously murdered by some one on the highway between Leeds 

and Bradford. 16th. Felice Orsini, the Italian exile, 

(who was executed in 1858, for an attempt on the life of the 
Emperor of the French,) gave a lecture at the Leeds Music- 
hall, " On the Austrians in Italy." 30th. Mr. Henry Har- 
rison, the fortune teller of Leeds, who figured in the case of 
Dove the murderer, was sentenced to nine months imprison- 
ment in the House of Correction, for having obtained 
money by false pretences from Eliza Croft, and also vio- 
lating her person. On the 8th of November he was also 
committed to York on a charge of bigamy, and was sentenced 
at the York assizes, on the 9th of December, to be kept in 
penal servitude four years. 

24th. A very handsome testimonial was presented to Mr. 
Richard Bissington, Briggate, Leeds, in tlie council chamber 
of the Coui-t-house, by Sir George Goodman, M.P., on be- 
half of the West-Riding Trade Protection Society. The 
testimonial consists of a large rich orimulu clock, beaiitifully 
chaste, and surmounted by two figures representing Spring 
and Autumn ; and a service of plate, incluchng tea and cof- 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 685 

1856.— Oct. 

fee ser^dce, and a cake basket, weighing altogether 107 ozs. 
The whole sum raised for the testimonial was £110. On 
the clock, and each piece of plate, the following insciiption 
is engraved : — 

*' Pre.sente>l by l/'O menihersof the Weist-Riiiinsr Tra<le Protection 
Society to Mr. Richard Bi>sirgtrD, ere of the Vice-Presidents, in 
ackiiowledgeint-nt of vahmble services- rerjf'ereil lor the intere.st of the, 
institution, as acting chairman of" the central coaiinittee, dnriug a 
period of eight ^^ears. Oct. 24tii, 1856." 

29tli. At Baildon, near Bradford, a serious attack was 
made upon INIr. Taylor, manufacturer, and his property, by 
a mob of about 2,000 factory operatives, in consequence of 
him having introduced into his mill the two loom system. 
The damage to property was about £200. Several of the 
ringleaders were sent to the House of C«>rrection, for being 
concerned in the riot. 

Nov. 1st. The old factory at Fcliy-hall, Huddersfield, 
was completely destroyed l)y fire. 

LEEDS MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS, No\ ember 1st, 1866. 
Those in brackets were electe<]. 

MiLl.-HlT.L, [Joseph Midd]eton,L. aiidJoeph Gill, L ] WksT- 

[James Relfit, L, 993, Joseph Wrieht, C, bio,] John Ardill, E, 

451. .North-Wkst, [r)a\i(l Ne.vtoo, L] North, [Willianv 

■Maw.son, L.j NuR'iH-E^sr, rjf.hn Kaye, L. .'•22.] William Mid- 

dleton, C, 459. East, [.Toseih lobley, L, 295.1 John Ardill, R, 

5, Richard vStead, C, 5/Wiili:ur. V^ray, C. 2/ Klf^EOATE, 

iEichard Stead, C, 222.] Fvimund Srpn -. L, 108, William Wray, C, 

31. South, [John NFill. L." Hunslet, [Jnshna Bower. L, 

883,] William Parker, E,.584.-^ — Hr.LBF.CK, TRoh^rr Meek Carter, 
31, 1.442, W. J. lilinjrworth, L, 1.37^=.: Iknj iinin Whooley, L, 462, 
Eobert Coxon. L, 402, L' t Croisdale. C, 15.— — Bu.a?.ii KV, [Joseph 

Winn, L, and Joseph Haley, L.] Headi?cgt.ey, [George Skirrow 

Beecroft. C.j 

Nov. 9th. John Botterill, Esq., uas elected mayor. 

The following were elected aldermen : — 

John Botterill. Sir George Goodman. T W. Georjre, C. G Maclea, 
W. E. Hepper, Joseph Bateson, Famch Blnckhurne, and Henry Oxley. 

Extraordi?}nry El-ciims : — Holbeck Ward, vice Armstrong, de-. 

ceased, [Jaseph Walker] North Ward, vice Watson, struck off 

the burgWs roil, [W. T.' Bolldnd. C, 38/,] Thomas Richard.son, C, 

333. l\Hll-hill, vice Gill, made :dderman in place of Goodman, 

resigned, [Joseph Kni?ht, L, 313,] Edward Bond, C, 253 '- 

West, Vice Botterill, alderman, [Samnel We.ston, L] Hun.'^let, 

vice Blackhurne. alderman, [Benjamin hWe. C, 619.] William Par- 
ker, R, 442, John Scott, L,"368. 

58 



686 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK AND 

1856.— Nov. 

Nov. Leopold Redpeth, of London, registrar of sliares of 
the Great I^orthern Railway Company, committed frauds on 
tiie company to the amount of nearly £200,000. He was 

subsequently transported for life. 14th. Colonel C. A. 

Cobbe, was elected chief constable for the West-Riding, at 
a salary of £500, in addition to the travelling and other ex- 
penses 17th. A very influential meeting was held at the 

Philosophical -ball, Leeds, convened by invitation from Ed- 
ward Akroyd, Esq., of Halifax, for the purpose of estab- 
lishing a Provident Society, and Penny Savings' Bank for 
the West-Riding. Resolutions were adopted in favour of the 

scheme. 20th. The foundation stone of St, John's 

church, Barnsley, was laid this day by Edward J^ewman, 

Esq. 20th. Dr. Sand with, one of the heroes of Kars, 

read a paper on the siege, at the IMusic-hall, before the 
members of the Leeds Philosophical Society, and the Leeds 
Library. 

Dec. 4th. A shocking double murder was committed at the 
village of Bolton-upon-Dearne, near Rotherham, the vic- 
tims being Luke White, chemist, aged 62, and his wife 
Elizabeth, aged 56. Wilful murder against some person or 
persons unknown, was returned by the coroners' jury. 

The Rev. William Sinclair, incumbent of St. George's, 
church, Leeds, was presented by Colonel Wj^ndham to 
the rectory of Pulborough, in Essex. The value of 

iihe living is £1,376. 19th. Five minutes before eight 

o'clock on Saturday morning, the 19th of December, 
an explosion took place at the Monk Bridge Iron Works, 
Whitehall-road, Leeds, supposed to have been caused by the 
water in a feed pipe finding its w^ay amongst the molten metal' 
in the iron refinery. The brick chimney, the burning cinders, 
and boiling metal were carried into the air to a great height. 
Edward Dickinson, of Hunslet, was thrown some distance, 
by a quantitj^ of molten metal striking him upon the face 
and breast, and received such injuries as to cause his death. 
Robert Barlow, another workman was burnt, but not 

seriously. In the latter part of Autumn of this 

year, a deplorable conflict took place between the forces of 
England and of China. Twelve sailors on the 8th of Oct. , 
were taken by the Chinese authorities from a vessel under 
the British flag. Their restoration was demanded by^ the 
British Consul and Admiral. The demand was disregarded, 
and in consequence, Canton was bombarded, its forts taken, 
and its ships of w^ar sunk. The hostilities were continued in 
the following year. 



THE SURROUXDIXG DISTRICT. G87 

1857.— Jan. 

1857. Jan. 1st. The Leeds town council resolved by twenty 
four against twenty three, to increase the acconinDodation of 
the borough gaol, hj the erection of thirty additional cells, 
at an expense not exceeding £1,500. At the same meeting 
£3,200 was gi-anted to complete the purchase of Woodhouse 
moor. The moor was purchased for £3,000. 

5th. The works at the Leetls Town-hall were suspended, 
owing to a dispute between the council and Mr. Atack the 
contractor. The council subsequently took the works into 
their own hands. Mr. Atack became bankrupt, and a claim 
was made by the assignees against the council for £20,000, 
in respect of which a bill was filed in Chancery. The affair 
was recently compromised by a payment of £3,000. 

19th. The opening soiree of the East Ward Mechanics' 
Institute, Mill-street, Leeds, took place. 

The Rev. G. B. De Renzi resigned the chaplaincy of 
the Leeds borough gaol, on being appointed to that at 
Millbank, London. The borough magistrates subsequently 
elected as his successor, the Rev. Henry Tuckwell, curate of 
St. Mark's, Woodhouse. 

20th. William Osburu, Esq., read a very interesting paper 
at the Leeds Philosophical and Literary Society, "On the 
Epigrams and Epigi'amatic writings of the beginning of the 
eighteenth century," and concluded with one of a local 
character, written on the fly leaf of an old book, as foUov>'s : — 
"The Aire below is doubly dyed and damned ; 
The air above, with lurid smoke is crammed ; 
The o)ie flows steaming foul as Charon's Styx, 
Its poisonous vapours in the other mix. 
These sable twins the murky town invest, — 
By them the skin's begrimed, the lungs oppressed. 
How dear the penalty thus paid for wealth ; 
Obtained through wasted life and broken health : 
The joyful Sabbath comes ! that blessed day, 
When all seem liappy, and when all seem gay I 
Then toil has ceased, and then both rich and poor. 
Fly off to Harrogate, or Woodhouse moor. 
The one his villa and a carriage keeps ; 
His squalid brother in a garret sleeps, 
High flaunting forest trees, loic crouching weeds, 
Can this be Manchester ? or is it Leeds." 
21st. A meeting of the leading members of the Church of 
England, within the diocese of Ripon, was held at the 
Music-hall, Leeds, the Earl of Harewood in the chair, when 



688 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1857— Jan. 

it was resolved to raise a fund to be called the ''Bishop 
Longley's Endowment Fund," as a permanent testimonial 
of the high sense in which the character, labours, and worth 
of Bishop Longley were held by churchmen throughout the 
diocese of Ripon. The fund had reached £5,000 iip to 
October ].859, and was then increased by a legacy of 
£500, from the late B:enry Hall, Esq., of Leeds. The 
income is used for tlie purpose of increasing the in- 
comes, and doing good to the poorer incumbents of the 

diocese. The Church Institute, Bond-street, Leeds, 

was established. It has an excellent library of more than 
1,500 vols, besides a well supplied reading-rrom, and occa- 
sional fortnightly lectures, which are cliietiy by the clergy of 
the town and neighbourhood ; also classes for instruction in 
useful knowledge. The Rev. James Atlay, D.D., is presi- 
dent. 

On Saturday morning, the 24tli of Jan. , a serious accident 
befel the Earl of Harewood, while hunting. The 'meet' took 
place at Stockeld Paik, near Spofturtli, the seat of J. B. 
Faviell, Esq. , and in the course of the run the noble Earl 
took an ordinarv^ fence, but discovered when too late, that 
there was a sheep net on the opposite side, in the m.eshes of 
which the hind feet of his hunter got entangled. The horse, 
'a fine spirited animal plunged violently, and in the struggle 
fell, rolling over his lordship, and inflicting besides a com- 
pound fracture of the skull, severe internal injuries of the 
chest. Mr. T. P. Teale, of Leeds, Mr. G. Smith, the 
family surgeon, and Mr. C. Hawkins, the eminent metropo- 
litan surgeon, were called in, and every measure was adopted 
that surgical skill could devise, and the most judicious care 
could do, but on Thursday, Feb. 19th, he had a sudden re- 
turn of erysipelas, with increased violence ; the membranes 
of the brain were necessarily affected : convulsions followed, 
and the noble earl expired at three o'clock on Sunday morn- 
ing, the 22nd of February. Henry Lascelles, third Earl of 
Harewood, was of an ancient Yorkshire family, distinguish- 
ed since the reign of Edward I. , when Roger de Lascelles 
was summoned to parliament as Baron, (a.d. 1295.) The 
grandfather of the deceased Earl was created Baron Harewood 
of Harewood, in 1796, and raised to the rank of Earl in 
1812. The late Earl was the second son of Henry the second 
Earl, who formerly represented the county of York. His 
elder brother Edward having died in 1839, he became earl 
on the death of his father, which took place suddenly on the 
24th of November, 1841, in returning from the chase, (see 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 689 

ISo/.— Jan. 

' Annals,' page 479.) The deceased earl was born on the 11th 
of June. 1797, and he "vvas consequently in his sixtieth ye&T. 
He was Lord-lieutenant of the West-Riding, having been 
appointed to that office in 1846, on the death of Lord Wbarn- 
cMe. He married on the 5th of July, 1823, Lady Louisa 
Tbynue, second daughter of the Marquis of Bath, who sur- 
vived him, and by wiiom he had a numerous family, eleven 
of Avhom, live sons and six daughters were living at the time 
of his death. He was educated at Christ cliurch, Oxford ; 
and entered the army before he was eighteen years of age : 
having obtained an Ensigncy in the 1st Foot Guards in April 
1814. He was in the battle of "Waterloo, where he was 
slightly wounded. He retired on half pay in 1820, and 
wholly quilted the army in 1831. He was appointed Lieu- 
tenant of the Yorkshire Hussar Yeomanry in 1820, Captain 
in 1823, Major in 1830, and he resigned in 1843. He was 
a Conservative, though for some years he ha.d scarcely taken 
any part in politics, but confined himself to his duties as Lord- 
lieutenant, to the promotion of various public objects, be- 
nevolent and religious, and to the interests of his familj' and 
tenantry. He was an amiable man, of cheerful disposition 
and obliging manners, unostentatious, and living quietly 
in the style that became his rank and fortune. He was 
highly respected by his neighbours and tenants, as well as by 
the magistrates and gentry of the West-Riding. Tl^e noble 
earl was succeeded in his title and estates by his eldest son, 
Henry ThjTine, Viscount Lascelles, who was born on the 
18th of June, 1824, and married in 1845, Lady Elizabeth 
Joanna De Burgh, eldest daughter of the Marquis of 
Clanricarde. 

Feb. 3rd. The sixth soiree of the Earlj' Closing Association 
of Bradford, was held in St. George's Hall, the anniversary of 
Bishop Blaize day, and the conductors of the entertainment 
availed themselves of the oppoi-tunity of commemorating 
the local festival. The last observance of the festival was in 
1825. This celebration equalled in splendour and gorgeous- 
ness any of its predecessors. The King vras an old man 
named William Clough, of Darlington, and it was the fiftli 
time of his filling that honourable office. Jason, was one 
John Smith, and the Bishop, another John Smith, whose 
Chaplain was James Beetham. Richard Fawcett, Esq., who 
was on horseback at the head of the spinners, pronounced 
uncovered the following speech, which it was customary to 
repeat at the festival : — 



690 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

J 857.— Feb. 

" Hail to tlie day, whose kind auspicious rays 
Deign'd first to smile on famous Bishop Elaize ! 
To the great author of our combing trade 
This day's devoted, and due honours paid 
To him whose fame thro' Britain's isle resounds, — 
To him whose goodnes to the poor abounds. 
Long shall his name in British annals shine, 
And grateful ages offer at his shrine ! 
By this, our trade, are thousands daily fed ; 
By it supplied with means to earn their bread. 
In various forms our trade its works imparts ; 
In different methods and by different arts 
Preserves from starving, indigents distress'd ; 
As combers, spinners, weavers, and the rest. 
We boast no gems, nor costly garments vain, 
Borrowed from India or the coast of Spain ; 
Our native soil witli wool our trade supplies, 
While foreign countries envy us the priz(^ 
jS^o foreign broil our comm.on good annoys, 
Our country's product all our art employs ; 
Our fleecy flocks abound in every vale. 
Our bleating lambs proclaim tlie joyful tale. 
So let not Spain with us attempt to vie. 
Nor India's wealth pretend to soar so high ; 
Nor Jason pride him in his Colchian spoil. 
By hardship gain'd and enterprising toil ; 
Since Britons all with ease attain the prize. 
And every hill resounds with golden cries. 
To celebrate our founder's great renown 
Our shepherd and our sheperdess we crown ; 
For England's commerce, and for George's sway, 
Each loyal subject give a loud Huzza ! Huzza !" 

16th. The trustees and congregation of St. George's 
church, Leeds, entertained the Rev. Wm, Sinclair, M.A., 
at breakfast, at Fleischman's Hotel, for the purpose of 
bidding him a final farewell, on leaving Leeds, after nineteen 
years' assidous and single-minded labours as incumbent of 
St. George's, and presenting him with a very handsome and 
substantial testimonial of their liigh estimation of his zeal, 
his exertions, and his worth. The testimonial consisted of a 
chaste silver tea and coiiee service, and a purse of five hun- 
dred guineas. One of the pieces of the service bore the 
following inscription : — 

" Presented along with a silver tea Kservice, and 500 guineas, to the 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 691 

185;.— Feb 

Rev. William Sinclair, M.A., b.v the trustees and confrre^ation of St. 
Georges church, on his removal from Leeds, in te-stimnny of their 
high estimation of the services he has rendered to his district, and the 
town in general, uhilst incumbent of that church, during a period of 
nitjeteen years. Feb., 185/." 

ITth. Mr. Thackray, the celebrated novelist, delivered a 
lecture at the Leeds Music-hall, before the members of the 
Leeds Mechanics'Institute, '' On the Four George's, and the 
court and to^^Ti manners during their reigns," 

LuxDEiix CoiiiERY Explosion. — On Thursday the 19th 
of February-, about noon, a fearful explosion occurred at 
the Lundhill Colliery, near Barnsley, the property of Messrs. 
Taylor, and Co. The number of persons in the pit at the 
time of the accident was 23 4, of whom 25 onlj^ were got out 
alive, thus 189 unhappy mortals vrere hurried into eternity 
without a moments warning. The pit was 660 feet deep, and 
had only been in operation two years. Tlie explosion set the 
coal on fire, and by evening the flames had reached a fearful 
height, the cupola appearing one mass of flame of great bril- 
liancy, illuminating the country for miles. The only way of 
stopping the fire was to completely close the pit. On this 
being done, the lamentations of the persons around, most of 
whom had lost relatives, Wiis paiirful and distressing beyond 
description. There was scarcely a working man's house in 
the village but what suifered bereavDient. In some instances 
the entire male portion of families was swept away, — one 
family of the name of Kellet had to deplore the loss of seven 
of their sons. In many instances two, three, and four 
brothers, and fathers, and one, two, and three sons shared 
the sa,me fate. The explosion left 90 widows, and 220 
orpha,ns, destitute. In order to subdue the flames, it was 
found necessary to pump water into the pit, so that several 
months elapsed before the bodies could be recovered. 185 
tjorpses were recovered, but of the remaining four no trace 
has been seen. A subscription amounting to £8,000 was 
raised for the benefit of the widows and orphans. The pro- 
prietors of the mine susta,ined a pecuniary loss of £20,0J0. 

March 21st. Died, aged 68, the Rev. Dr. Scoresby, late 
\dcar of Bradford, at his residence, Torquay. This veteran 
of Algetic enterprise combined scientific eminence with high 
moral wortli, unaffected piety, and active benevolence. He 
was trained for naval adventure in a good school. His father 
was one of the most daring and successful seamen in the 
Northern Wliale Fishery, when that service was draining the 
chief sources of the commercial wealth of the nation, and 



692 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

]857.— March. 

was one of the best nurseries for tlie British navy, and the de- 
ceased from his youth was inured to the hardships and 
perils of the Artie seas. After his retirement from active 
service at sea, he entered the church, where he had full scope 
for his benevolence. He still continued his scientific career. 
His reports to the British Association, and his numerous ob- 
servations on the influence of the iron of vessels on the 
compass, were connected with inquiries of the utmost prac- 
tical importance to navigation. It was in prosecuting these 
researches, and v/ith a view to determine various questions 
of magnetic science, that Dr. Scoresby undertook a voyage 
to Australia (in the ill-fated " Royal Charter,") from which 
he returned in 1856, with his constitution much enfeebled 
from the arduous labours to which he had subjected himself. 

He died in the foUov/ing 7/ear. 21st. Parliament was 

dissolved in consequence of the defeat of the Palmerston 
ministry, on the 3rd of March, by 263 against 247, on the 
motion of Mr. Cobden, condemning the war with China. 
A general election ensued. 

Leeds ELECTIO^^. — At a meeting of the liberal electors on 
the 13th of March, the Right Hon. M. T. Baines, W. 
E. Forster, Esq., and Francis Carbutt, Esq., were each 
proposed as fit to represent the borough. The two former 
received the largest show of hands ; notwithstanding which, 
the party was divided on the education question. In order 
to secure unanimity amongst the liberals both Mr. Carbutt 
and Mr. Forster subsequently withdrew. The conservatives 
brought out Robert Hall, Esq. , and the liberals Mr. Baines, 
and John Reming-ton Mills, Esq., of London. The nomi- 
nation took place on Woodhouse moor, on Friday the 27th 
of March. Peter Fairbairn, Esq. proposed, and John Wil- 
son, Esq. seconded Mr. Baines. George Skirrow Beecroft, 
Esq. proposed, and J, R. W. Atkinson, Esq. , seconded Mr. 
Hall. G-eorge Hyde, Esq. ]->roposed, and Darnton Lupton, 
Esq. seconded Mr. Mills, The show of hands was in favour 
of Mr. Baines, and Mr. Hall. A poll was demanded on 
behalf of Mr. Mills, v/hich took place on the following day, 
and issued after a severe and close contest in the return of 
Mr. Baines, and Mr. Hall. Mr. Botterill, the mayor, de- 
clared the result of the poll the same evening, as follows : — 

Thc.Rt Hon. M. T. Baines,.. (L) 2,329. 

Rohai Hall, Esq., (C) 2,237. 

John Remington Mills, Esq., (L) 2,143. 

Plumpers, Baines 59, Hall 1,843, Mills 151. Split votes, 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 693 

1867. — March. 

Baines and Hall 3.36, Hall and Mills 58, Baiues and Mills 
3,934. Total polled 4,381. 

At tiie nomination, a part of the hustings on the liberal 
side broke down, and seriously injured several persons, 
amongst whom may be mentioned Frederick Hobson, Hamil- 
ton Richardson, John Wade, Charles George, G. Laverack, 
Benjamin "VVhalley, Mr. Dodgson, Robert Green, Thomas 
Button, &c. The town council censured Mr, Filliter, the 
borough surveyor, for having certified as to the safety of the 
hustings, Vvdthout niakiiig a ]')roper examination. 

28t]i. The Right Hon. Sir Charles Wood, and Frank 
Crossley, Esq., were returned for Halifax, the state of the 
poll at the close was :— Croh3sley, (L) 830, Wood, (L) 714, 

Major Edwards, (C) G51. ^At Huddersfield, Edward 

Akroyd, Esq. was returned, his opponent being Richard 
Cobden, Esq. The votes were Akroyd 823, Cobden 590. 

At Bradford, Mr. Wickham and General Thompson were 
returned. At Wakefield, Mr. Charlesworth. 

30th. Viscount Goderich, (L) and Edmund Denison, Esq. 
(C) were elected for the West-Riding of Yorkshire without 
opposition. 

Guardians of the Poor of the township of Leeds, elected 
April 5th, 1857 :— 

Those in brackets were elected. 

East, [William Brown, 244, William Vrray, 204,] Robert Gar- 
side, lOl. KiRKGATB, [Richaril Stead, Charles Crabtiee.} 

MiLL-Hii L. [Henry Dufton, 509, William Claik,C,453, Leonard 

Hicks, 368,] John Smith, 209, Charbs Peoier, J/l. North, 

[Narbaniel Sharpe, 20/, Samuel Myers, 201,] Robert iNleek Carter, 

]31, .John Kaye, lis. Deimi- Lee, 26. Nor iii- East, [Samuel 

Law>on. Willia-n Middleton.] NoTi i ll- Wkst, [Daviil Newton, 

2.59, Henry Bailey Lesg, 257,] P odel Aikif^son" 185, Richard 
:Myers, ls2. - South, [\Yilliam Kirk, 121, Har^-reaves Hudson, 

ll/.l .Tarvis Horsfield, 89, George Lumb, 85. Wkst, [Geor^re 

Tath.m, 637, Georire Bn.nk, 621, William Holroyd. 529,^] John 
Woodhead, 504. William Longley, 4S6, Richard William Moore, 
466, Thomas Bruce Cornock, 311. Rich.ard Stead was elected chair- 
man. 

On Thursday afternoon the 0th of April, the new covered 
market, situated in Vicar's croft, Kirkgate, Leeds, was for- 
mally opened by the mayor and corporation. In the evening 
the market v/^as thrown open to the public who visited it in 
thousands, the scene being enlivened by Milburn's band. 
The market was opened to the public on the 1st of May. 

13th. The foundation stone of the Methodist new con- 



694 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1857 —May. 

nexion chapel in Woodhouse-lane, Leeds, was laid by Joseph 

Love, Esq., of Willington-hall, Durham. 

May. The greatest military mutiny on record broke out in 
Bengal, in the East Indies. The heroism with which mere 
handfuis of Englishmen resisted the relentless savages, and 
the sufferings and bravery of our countrymen at Lucknow, 
Cawnpore, &c. , is beyond anything ever recorded in history. 
In the suppression of the mutiny, history will not narrate 
more brilliant exploits than what were performed by Have- 
lock, Neill, Wilson, JSTicholson, Outram, and Campbell, and 

the men who fought with them. 5th. The Great Art 

Treasures' Exhibition at Manchester was opened by Prince 

Albert.. 8th. The Hon. NealeDow, of Portland Maine, 

United States, author of the Maine Liquor Law, delivered 
an address on the total suppression of the liquor traffic, at the 

Leeds Stock Exchange. 12th. A person named Samuel 

Charlton, of Lidget-green, Bradford, barbarously murdered a 
widow named Hannah Holroyd, of the same place, by cut- 
ting her throat, and then committed suicide by drowning 
himself. The coroners' jury returned a verdict of felo de se. 
The inquest did not terminate until half past five o'clock in 
the evening, and as the act provides that in case oi felo de se, 
the body must be interred within twenty four hours, and 
betAveen the hours of nine and twelve o'clock at night, it 
became necessary to have a grave prepared at once. Thou- 
sands of people in the neighbourhood assembled to witness. 

the unusual spectacle. 14th. At a meeting of the Leeds 

town council, a letter was read from Sir George Goodman, 
in which he generously presented to the mayor for the time 
being, and his successors, the gold chain worn by him in 
private parties, during his mayoralty in 1836. This chain 
is a fac-simile upon a reduced scale, of the official chain (de- 
scribed at page 438 of the ' Annals,') worn by the mayors of 
Leeds. At the same meeting a letter was read from the war 
office, that the Government had pleasure in presenting to 
the corporation, and inhabitants of Leeds, two Russian 
guns, and two carriages, as trophies from Sebastopol, which 
were (on the 28th of September,) placed on the banks of the 

reservoir at Woodhouse moor. 22nd. The Princess 

Boj^al being about to be married to Prince Frederick of 
Prussia, the House of Commons voted her an annuity of 
£8,000 a year, and a marriage portion of £40,000. 

Died at Folkstone, on the 26th of May, after a short ill- 
ness, Robert Hall, Esq., member of Parliament for the 
borough of Leeds. At the general election of the preceding- 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 695 

1857— May. 

March he "Wcas returned after a close and severe contest, the 
labour and excitement of which had occasioned such del3ility 
to his S3'stem, that he died after a few days ilhiess of in- 
fluenza. Mr, Hall was born in Kirkgate, Leeds, on the 
15th of November, 1801, and was the only child of the late 
venerable Henry Hall, Esq., of Bank Lodge. He was edu- 
cated at the Grammar School, Heath, near Halifax, and at 
the Grammar School of Leeds, during the mastership of the 
Rev. George Page Richards. After a most successful school 
career, he entered as a Commoner at Christ church, Oxford. 
He took the degree of B.A., in 1823, being placed in the 
first class in classics, and in the second class in mathemetics, 
and of M. A. in 1826. In 1828 he was called to the bar, at 
Lincoln Inn. On the 8th of September, 1829, he married 
Maria Clay Tennant, second daughter of Thomas Ten- 
nant, Esq., of Leeds, and remained in Leeds until 1835, 
when he removed to Deau's-yard, Westminster, occupying 
chambers in the Middle Temple, and enjoying an extensive 
and increasing practice to the day of his death. He was a 
distinguished member of the Northern Circuit, and being 
deeply read in lavr, and possessing a sound and cautious 
judgment which seldom led him astray in giving his opinion 
on the questions submitted to him, he acquired extensive 
practice, with the general esteem and respect of his brethren 
at the bar, and the profession. In 1842 he was appointed 
Deputy-Recorder, or assistant at the sessions of Leeds, and 
in 1845 Recorder of Doncaster, the duties of which he ex- 
ercised until his death — with the exception of an interval in 
1855, in consequence of a serious railway accident, by which 
both his arms, and both his legs were fractured, and other 
severe injuiies, for which, after a trial at the assizes 
at York, he obtained £4,500 from the Great North- 
ern Railway Company. In 1848 he vvas appointed lec- 
turer on Common Law at the Inner Temple, and held 
the appointment until 1852. His energies and talents 
were not exclusively devoted to his professional duties ; 
the important social and political questions of the day 
largely engaged his attention. During his residence at 
Leeds he was a member of the committee of Pious Uses, a 
patron of the Vicarage, and took an active interest in the 
prosperity of the Leeds Philosophical and Literary Society, 
before the members of which he read many valuable ]:)apers, 
and was a supporter of the numerous charitable and social 
institutions of the town. The promotion of education, and 
the social condition of the lower classes AYore his special objects 



696 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

lh57.— May. 

of interest. He originated and personally superintended a 
Sunday School at Riclimond-road, Bank, and on his removal 
to Westminster, became a teacher of the first class in the 
Sunday Schools of St. John's, in the church of which parish 
an appropriate and elegant tablet has been erected to his 
memory by his fellow teachers and i)upils. Of later years 
his studies had been directed more especially to the important 
question of the treatment of juvenile criminals. During the 
long vacations, he usuallj;^ visited the Continent, and in- 
spected the principal reformatories in France, Belgium, and 
Germany, and during these tours secured the friendship of 
M. de Metz, one of the founders of Mettray, and other 
eminent philanthropists. Subsequently he published two 
lectures — one on Mettray, and the other ' Visits to Con- 
tinental Reformatories,' in which he gave expression to his 
own views on this great social x^roblem. Amongst the minor 
studies to which he devoted a portion of his attention, was 
that of natural history, and more especially the department 
of Geology, of which his knowledge was very extensive. 
He was also a collector of coins, and well versed in Nu- 
mismatics. Mr. Hall inherited the political sentiments of 
his father, and was a consistent conservative. He took an 
active part in political questions, and was one of the most 
energetic supporters of Mr. Michael Thomas Sadler, at the 
general election in 1832, and rendered great assistance to 
that gentleman and Mr. Oastler, in their effective exertions 
for the reduction of the hours' of labour in factories for 
children. The death of one endowed with more than 
ordinary talents, sound judgment, matured principles, and 
possessing the respect and esteem of all parties, was an event 
that not only deprived his fellow townsmen of a representa- 
tive vfell qualified to support their interests, but occasioned 
the loss of a legislator, Avho was prepared and able to discuss 
and take an active part in the settlement of tlie important 
social and political questions of these eventful times, 
Robert Hall was the descendant of an old family, the owners 
of Stumpelow Hall, in the parish of ShefS.eld, and Lords of 
the manor of Midhopo, Henry Hall, born at Stumpelow 
in 1682- . removed to Leeds in 1716, and served the office of 
mayor of that borough in 1752. Henry Hall, grandfather 
of Robert, was mayor in 1793, whose son Henry Avas born 
in 1773, after twice serving the office of mayor in 1812, and 
1825 ; he died at Bank Lodge, October, 1859, respected for 
his long and valuable services to the borough of Leeds. 
June 2nd. Died, at the advanced age of ninety years. 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 697 

1857— Tun B. 

John Haley, Esq, , of Waterloo House, Bramley. The de- 
ceased rose from a comparatively humble position to one of 
wealth, and was well known as a distinguished cloth manu- 
facturer. 

4th. Leeds Election vice Mr. Hall deceased. — The nomina- 
tion of a candidate to supply the vacancy in the represent- 
ation of Leeds, caused by the melancholy death of Robert Hall, 
Esq. , took place on Woodhouse moor, at eleven o'clock this 
day. Mr. Aid. Fairbairn proposed, and T. W. George, 
Esq. seconded, John Remington Mills, Esq. J. R. W. At- 
kinson, Esq. proposed, and C. Bousfield, Esq. seconded the 
nomination of George Skirrow Beecroft, Esq. After the 
candidates had addressed the meeting, a show of hands was 
taken, which the mayor declared to be in favour of Mr. 
Beecroft ; a poll was demanded on behalf of Mr. Mills, 
which took place on the following day, the 5th. The poll 
commenced in good earnest, and the energies of the two 
parties never flagged for an instant daring the whole day. 
At the close each party claimed the victory — Mills' committee 
claimed a majority of nine, and Beecroft's a majority of five. 
The poll books of the several deputy returning officers, as 
handed to the mayor on the moor, showed a majority of five 
for Mr. Beecroft. The mayor (J. Botterill, Esq.) with so 
small a majority determined to open and examine the poll 
books himself. This was a work of time. At length he de- 
clared Mr, Beecroft to be duly elected. The numbers 
being : — 

George SUrroiv Beecroft, Esq (C) 2, 070. 

John Remington Mills, Esq (L) 2,064. 

6,204 registered, voted, 4,134. 

25th. The Queen by letters patent conferred upon Prince 
Albert the title of " Prince Consort," during their joint lives. 

29th. A public dinner was given to W. E. Forster, Esq. , 
by his political friends, at the White Horse Hotel, Leeds. 
John Hope Shaw, Esq. presided. 

July 1st. The Holbeck Municipal Cemetery, situate on 
Beestou Hill, a well chosen and elevated situation compris- 
ing nine acres was opened. The ceremony of laying the 
foundation stone of the chapels took place on the 28th of 
August, 1856. The total cost of the cemetery, including 
the two chapels was about £7,000, raised by rates levied on the 
inhabitants of Holbeck. One half is consecrated for the use 
of the established church. The Rev. Edward Wilson, B.A, 
is chaplain of the consecrated portion, and the Rev. A. 



698 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

185/.— July. 

Pickles of the unconsecrated portion. The town council 

had to pay compensation to several owners of property in 

the vicinity of the cemetery, for having commenced the 

work without their sanction. The principal item was £1,00Q 

paid to Mr. Pawson. 

3rd. A temporary bridge erected for a musical and floral 
fete, at the . Island of Poplars, near Shrewsbury, broke 
down and precipitated about two hundred persons into the 
river, ten of whom were drowned. 

7th. William Blanshard, Esq., of Leeds, haAdng been 
appointed Recorder of Doncaster in the place of Mr. Hall 
deceased, the mayor and corporation of that town officially 
received the new recorder by giving a dejeuner a la four- 
c/j/eife in his honour. 13th. The Leeds Town-hall com- 
mittee awarded a prize of £150 to Messrs. Smart and Spark, 
for plans for the Town-hall organ. On the 17th of August, 
Messrs. Gray and Davidson were appointed to build the 
organ from the designs, at a cost not exceeding £4,000. 

15th. Died, aged 64, Mr. Richard Stead, malster, Leeds. 
At the time of his death he v^as chairman of the Leeds 
Board of Guardians, and a member of the Town Council, 
in which he had for a many years represented Kirkgate ward 
in the conservative interest. He had been a member of the 
board of guardians for nearly ten years, and had held the 
important office of chairman of the board for three years. 
His conduct in both offices was marked by straightforward- 
ness, great ability, and zeal. As a guardian, he was most 
assiduous in discharging the duties of his office, and on all 
occasions manifested a warm sympathy for the poor. He was 
interred at the Burmantofts cemetery, in the presence of 
between three and four hundred people of all political shades 
of opinion. At the cemetery an imposing scene was pre- 
sented by the formation of a large circle around the grave, 
by the children of the Industrial Schools. To show the re- 
spect in which he was held in the ward that he represented 
in the town council, most of the shops in Kirkgate were 
closed on the day of the funeral. 17th. The founda- 
tion stone of a new congregational chapel was laid at Cleck- 
heaton, by Frank Crossley, Esq. M.P. 

22nd. Frank Crossley, Esq., gave to the corporation of 
Halifax the freehold land situated within the borough of 
Halifax, bounded on the west by the property of Mr, Em- 
met, on the north by Hep wood-lane, on the east by Park- 
road, and on the south by King- Cross-street, and enclosed 
by palisades and a high boundary wall, and containing 12a. 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 699 

I857.— July 

Ir. 8p. 23yds., or thereabouts, and known by the name of 
" The People's Park," to be used as a park for ever under 
the following conditions : — 

1. " That the park be open to the public during the whole 3'eap 
Sundays included, trora morning until evening. — 2. That the hour.s 
of opening and closing vary with the season, but that it never be 
opened for the public before six o'clock in the morning, nor be kept 
open after dusk in the evening, but that it be opened as soon after six 
o'clock in the morning as the sun rises. — 3. That it be used only as a 
promenade. — 4. That no games such as cricket, bowls, or hockey, &c. 
be allowed, nor bathing [this condition afterwards altered to give the 
corporation power to erect baths.] — 5. That bands of music be alLnved 
except on Sundays [under certain regulations] but not dancing. ^6. 
That refreshments be not sold within the park. — 7- That the corpora- 
tion spend annually not less than ^315 in maintaining the buildings, 
bridges, statues, trees, shiuos, walks, seats, and in providing an 
adequate staff of gardeners and keepers. — 8. If the corporation fail to 
maintain the park, as specified in rule seven, it shall revert to Frank 
Crossley, or to his heirs. — 9 No buddings shall be erected except 
such summer houses, lodges, and like structures, as may from time to 
time be found necessary. — 10. The park shall not be u.sed for any 
political or other meeting, nor yet for the celebration of the anniver- 
saries of clubs or other societies. — 11. No charge shall ever be made for 
admission to the park, nor any use made of it for private or municipal 
pecuniary advantage. — 12. That the corporation make and enforce 
such regulations as shall protect the trees, walks, fyc. from injury. 

Before the presentation Mr. Crossley had the park beauti- 
fully laid out from designs by Sir Joseph Paxton, at a cost 
of £30,000. The conveyance and formal opening took place 
on Friday the 14th of August following. 

Aug. 14th. The very hea\^ rain about the middle of this 
month caused high floods in various parts of the country. 
Imme]ise damage was done to crops in the neighbourhood of 
Selby. The loss of property by the flood at Kipponden near 
Halifax was estimated at not less than £10,000. The damage 
done to property at Hudder.s field and the neighbourhood was 
veiy considerable. The fall of rain at Scarbro' on tlie 6th 
was so sudden and immense, that the drains were insufficient 
to carry away the water, and in consequence, considerable 
damage was done to property. 

Sept. 10th, 11th, and 12th. A cricket match was played at 
Leeds between eleven of All England, and twenty two of 
Leeds district. The Leeds men were winners in one innings 
with thirteen runs to spare. The score being All England, 
first innings 29, second innings 49, total 78. Leeds, first 
innings 91, second innings 108, total 199. 



700 ANNALS OP LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1857.— Sept. 

14th. During the Holbeck races an intoxicated labourer 
named Thomas Harrison, of Beeston, persisted in spite of 
the efforts of the police and bystanders to cross the course 
with his horse and cart near the workhouse. The con- 
sequence was that one of the horses ridden by the owner, 
Mr. Naylor, of Holbeck, dashed into the cart, the shaft of 
which pierced the animal through the breast, and it imme- 
diately fell dead. The rider was thrown a long distance, but 
escaped without much injury. Another horse ran into the- 
cart and had its leg broken. The rider was thrown several 
yards, and received severe contusions. 25th. Mr. W. Man- 
waring, poor law inspector, commenced at the Court-house 
Leeds, an official inquiry into the frauds and forgeries of 
proxy voting papers, at the recent election of guardians of 
the poor for the township of Leeds. The inquiry was fol- 
lowed by tlie trial of three persons at the assizes at York, 
on the 17th and 18th of March, 1858, ^dz., George Beck- 
with, John O'Rourke, and George Cromack. The jury found 
them guilty of conspiring together to utter the forged docu- 
ments, but recommended them to mercy. The two former 
were sentenced to one month's imprisonment, and the latter 
to fourteen days, such imprisonment dating from the 

beginning of the assizes. 26th. At a public meeting at 

the Leeds Court-house, presided over by the mayor, a com- 
mittee was appointed and steps taken to raise by subscription 
a fund for the relief of the sufferers by the Indian war. 

28th. The two Russian guns from the fort of Sebastopol, 
presented to the Leeds corporation, were publicly placed on 
Woodhouse moor by the mayor, J(j])n Botfcerill, Esq., in the 
presence of not less than 50,000 persons. The guns, which 
are ships guns, and mounted on ships carriages, were actually 
used ia the fort of Sebastopol. They are long 36 pounders, 
and each weigh 56 cwt. On either side of the carriage a 
plate is fixed, with the inscription " captured at Sevastopol, 
1855." After the ceremony the officers of the Guards and 
Artillery in Leeds, the magistrates and corporation partook 
of luncheon at the Music-hall, on the invitation of the mayor. 

30th. At a special meeting of the.. Leeds town council it 
was resolved to cause the placing of stalls, benches, goods, 
wares, or merchandise, in Briggate, on the usual market 
days and fairs to be discontinued after the 30th of Novem- 

bsr, 1857. A serious monetary panic took place in the 

United States of America, which so affected money matters 
in England, that the Bank of England raised its rate of 
discount to 10 per cent, a rate higher by 2 per cent than was 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 701 

1857.— Sept. 

ever known before. On the 12tli of ISTovember the run upon 
the Bank of England so reduced the bullion, that a dreadful 
panic was inevitable, which was onlj' averted by the issue of 
a government letter, authorising the bank to make issues 
beyond the limits prescribed by the act of 1844. In De- 
cember the mercantile pressure fell upon Bradford with great 

severity. 30th. The new Town-hall at Sovrerby bridge 

near Halifax, was formally opened by musical performances. 

Oct. 3rd. The Bradford, Wakefield, and Leeds Railway 
was opened. 

4th. Earl Fitzwilliam died, aged 71, at his seat, Y7ent- 
worth Woodhouse, Yorkshire. The deceased earl was a 
man of chivalrous honour, the highest moral courage, per- 
fect independence, and disinterestedness. He was the fifth 
of his race who had held the title of Earl Fitzwilliam, and 
was born on the 4th of May, 1786. In the elections of 
1807, 1812, 1818, ] 820, and 1826, he was returned as one 
of the members for the county of York. The family of 
Fitzwilliam is of high antiquity, being descended from Sir 
William Fitz Godric, cousin to King Edward the Confessor, 
whose son and heir. Sir William Fitzwilliam was marshal of 
the army of William the Conqueror, in his victorious ex- 
pedition against England. The next historical Fitzwilliam 
was Sir William Fitzwilliam, sheriff of the city of London, 
alderman of Bread-street ward, and a follower of Cardinal 
Wolsey, whom he received into his house in the hour of his 
disgrace. His descendant of the same name, and still a 
simple knight, was five times lord deputy, and lord justice 
of Ireland, under Queen Elizabeth, from 1560 to 1594. 
The Fitzwilliam's v.^ere first elevated to the Irish Peerage in 
1620, having up to that time being merely esquires and 
knights. The title was Lord Fitzwilliam of Liilbrd, in the 
coimty of Donegal, and, in 1716, they received the Irish 
earldom of Fitzwilliam. Honours came thickly upon this 
noble family, and in 1746 Earl William was elevated to the 
dignity of an English earl, he being the first of his race who 
had held an English Peerage. This peer was the grandfather 
of the late, and the great grandfather of the present earl. 

9th. The Rev. Dr. Livingstone, the celebrated African 
traveller delivered an address in East-parade chaj)el, Leeds, 
to a crowded and respectable audience, on his discoveries in 
eentral South Africa, and tlieir bearing upon the cause of 
Christian missions. Edward Baines, Esq. presided. On the 
invitation of the Leeds Chamber of Commerce, the Rev. 
gentleman delivered an address on the follo^^-ing day at the 



702 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1 857.— Oct. 

Stock Exchange, ^' On the commercial resources of central I 

Africa." The mayor presided. 11th. Mr. William 

James, superintendent of the Leeds police force, and chief ' 
of the corporation fire brigade, died of apoplexy. He fell 
whilst rendering assistance at a fire at the Felt Mills, Camp- 
road. 

14fch. A provincial Grand Lodge of the Freemason's of 
West Yorkshire was held at the Wellington-hall, Fliesch- 
man's Hotel, Leeds, and at the close of the business, the 
brethren proceeded to Trinity church. Boar-lane, to inaug- 
rate the memorial window erected in that edifice to the late 
Mr. Charles Lee, drysalter, Leeds. 

The window measures nine feet six inches in length, by four feet 
eight inches in width, and the head is semicircular. In the centre is 
a figure of Sanctus Johannes, the patron snint of the order, who holds 
the bible in his right hand, and the square in his left. He is entering 
the poichvvay of the temple, on each side of which are two pillars 
supporting the royal arch, with the monogram J. H. S. forming the 
lce.vstone. Above the figure is a circular compartment with the '' All 
Seeing Ej'e," the holy bible opened at 2 Chronicles, and the square 
and compasses laid thereon. Below the figures are three medallions ; 
the centre one contains the initials of the deceased C. L ; the other 
two are the jewels of the offices he held, viz.: — Provincial superinten- 
dent of R. A Masons, and Deputy Provincial Grand Master of West 
Yorkshire. The floor of the porch is laid with mosaic pavement, and 
the working tools are grouped tliereon. The window is surrounded hy 
a border composed of an endless chain, and radiating ribbon of blue 
and red, and encircling the border are the words "Let there be light, 
and there was light;" also " Brotherly love, relief, and truth." In 
the bottom of the window th-'re is a handsome slab of black marble, 
on which is engraved in gold letters the following inscription : — 

"In affectionate and grateful remembrance of personal worth and 
Masonic services, the brethren of the province of West Yorkshire have 
erected this memorial to their valued and lamented brother, Charles 
Lee, who for twenty years filled the high office of deputy provincial 
grand master of West Yorkshire. He departed this life on the sixth 
of November, 1856, in the 62nd year of his age. His remains are 
interred in the family vault in Adel church j'ard." 

The window was executed by Mr. Francis Barnett, of 
Leibh, from a design by Mr. William Perkin, of Leeds, 
P.P.a.K, and P.M. of Lodge 382. 

19th. The Leeds board of guardians resolved to erect a new 
workhouse on a site adjoining the Industrial Schools, Bur- 
mantofts, and consisting altogether of 2H acres. On the 
18th of November a maximum sum of £20,000 was granted 
towards the erection.. The ceremony of laying the founda- 
tion stones of the workhouse and chapel, took place on the 



THE SURROtJNDING DISTRICT. 703 

185/.— Oct. 

5th of April, 1858. The former was laid by Wm. Middle- 
ton, Esq., chairman, and the latter by Dr. Hook, vicar. 
The new building approaches near completion (1860.) It is 
designed to harmonize with the Industrial school, in the 
Elizabethan style of architecture, ranges in a line with that 
edifice, and produces an architectural facade of great extent 
and beauty. A Chapel of cruciform design, in the Byzantian 
style, surmounted by a tower on the south side, in which a 
clock is to be placed, having quarter bells, is being erected 
between the Industrial school and Workhouse, It will be 
fitted up v\'ith open pews, and in the transept two galleries 
erected to accomodate 200 children. In the rear of the 
chapel and of the principal building at the south west, will 
be the Infirmary. Contiguous to it but totally separate and 
distinct, will be the idiotic and fever ward. The workhouse 
itself will accomodate 810 paupers, 360 males, and 450 
females. Messrs. Perkin and Backhouse are the architects. 
31st. Mr. Joseph Hawksworth, general secretary to the 
ancient order of Romans, was presented by the members 
with a splendid portrait of himself, at the house of Mr. 
Tidswell, Dragon Hotel, George's-street, Leeds. 

LEEDS MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS, Noa' ember 2xd, 1857. 
Those in brackets were elected. 

MiLL-HiLi., [Joseph Walker, L, an^l Henry Dixon, L.] West, 

[Charles Geori:e, L, 71'), Georgre Wright, L, 4^5,] John Harding, L, 

404. 2V'orth-Wkst, [James Kitson, L.] North, [Thomas 

Eichar.lson, L, 384,] William Wrar, C, 344. [x^orth-Rasp, 

[William Middleton, C, 496,] Thomas Cornock, L, 4/8. East 

[Robert Gar^ide, L, 268.] John Prince, C, 50. Kirk«5atk, 

[Joseph Watson, L, 229,] Joseph Johnson, C, 197. South, 

[Charles Carr, L, 174,] H. Hudson, L, 3, Jame.s Smith, L, 1, John 

Kirk, L, 1, Richard Garh.er, L, 1. Hunslet, [Benjamin Mellor, 

L.] HoLBECK, one additional candidate, vice Walker deceased, 

[Joseph Shackleton, L, 739, Joshua Calvert, R,672, William Nay- 

lor, L, 631,] John Holmes, L, .")99. Brami.ry, [David Yeudall, 

L, 774, William Bil!ini;ton, L, 746,] Abraham Farrar, C, 316 

Headingley, [Robert Dewsbury, C, 4,] William Pullan, C, 2. 

Nov. 6th, vice White left the town, [Ben Cariss, C, was elected.] 

Nov. 9th Peter Fairbairn, Esq , electe I mayor. 

July 27th. Kirkjrate Ward, rice Richard Stead, deceased, [Ed- 
mund Stead, L, 188,] Samuel Myers, C, 164. 

Nov. 3rd. The annual soiree of the Leeds Mechanics' In- 
stitution and Literary Society took place in the Music-hall, 
under the presidency of Lord Brougham, then in his 80th 
year, who delivered a most eloquent speech of an hours 



704 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1857— Nov. 

length without the slighest symptoms of fatigue. R. M. 
Milnes, Esq., M.P., the Rev. Dr. Hook, the Dean of Ripon, 
the Rev. Dr. Booth, and other friends of education took part 

in the proceedings. 7th. A testimonial consisting of an 

elegant silver tankard, and a purse of £50 was presented to 
Mr. James Wardle, deputy town clerk of Leeds, by members 
of the Leeds corporation. The tankard had on it the follow- 
ing inscription : — 

" Presentetl to Mr. James Wardle, deputy town clerk, by members 
of all parties of the Leeds reformed corporation, with a purse of fifty 
sovereigns, as a small acknowledgement of his attentioa and courtesy 
during a period of twenty one years. 1857." 

23rd. A terrific boiler explosion occurred on the premises 
of Mr. Charles Kaye, cotton warp manufacturer, at Upper 
Aspley, near H udders field, by which nine persons, (five of 
whom were females) were killed, and several others seriously 
wounded. The explosion resulted from the screwing down 
of a stop valve, placed in the top of the boiler, which when 
closed, completely cut off all connection with the safety 
valve. —25th. The gallant General Havelock, the de- 
liverer of Lucknow, died from d^^scntery, brought on by 
exposure and anxiety. 

Dec. 5th. The Leeds Reformatorj^- School at Adel near 
I/eeds, built at a cost of £1,200, was certified by the Secretary 
of Sbate as fit to be a reformo.tory school, under the pro- 
visions of the statue 17th and 18th Victoria, cap. 86. 

lOfcb. Mr. Frederick Thompson, corn miller, Wakefield, 
had his pocket book stolen, containing £3,160, whilst at- 
tending the Corn Exchange, Manchester, The thief, 
Charles Browness was cleverly captured in a first class rail- 
way carriage, proceeding from Manchester to Liverpool, and 
was subsequently imprisoned and ke2:»t to hard labour for 

one year. About half-past seven o'clock on Saturday 

evening the 1 2th of December, a terrible accident took place 
at the Ouse chemical works, belo aging to Mr. Anderson, How- 
den-dyke, near Howden. The large chimney 120 feet high, 
came down with a tremendous crash, falling upon the vitriol 
chamber, in which a dozen men were working at the time, 
seven of whom were killed, namely William Butterworth, 
George Coultard, John Taylor, Joseph Pearson, James 
Broadbent, Joseph Barker, James Ward. 

15tli. At the York assizes, Mr. Henry Smith Bright, 
who for a many years had held a high position as a corn 
merchant at Hull, was sentenced to ten years penal servitude 



THE SURROUXDIXG DISTRICT. 705 

185/. — Dec. 

for having forged the signature of Robert John Taylor, 
on the 4th of July, 1853, to a tender of York, Newcastle, 
and Berwick extension shares. 

17th. A fearful earthquake ravaged a portion of the king- 
dom of I^aples, principally the cities of Salerno, Potenza, 
and Nola. Entire villages were destroyed, and several 

thousand persons were killed. 25th. Died, aged 60, 

Mr. Thomas Plint, of Springfield-place, Leeds. He was 
distinguished by great ability as a statist and political econo- 
mist ; was a zealous supporter of the principles of free trade. 
He had for some years been the registration agent for the 
liberal party for Leeds and the West-Riding. The early part 
of his life was spent in business as a cloth merchant, but 
during a depression of trade he was unsuccessful. He fol- 
lowed in the latter part of his life the business of an account- 
ant. In politics he was a liberal, and was often a speaker 
at political gatherings of the liberal party. During the 
corn law agitation he rendered signal service to the cause of 
the repeal. For several years he was secretary to the York- 
shire Union of Mechanics' Institutes. In 1851 he published 
a work entitled " Crime in England, its relation, character, 
and extent, as developed from 1801 to 1848. 

26th. A weekly newspaper caUed " The Leeds Express 
and West-Riding Advertizer " was commenced this day. 
It was published every Saturday morning, price 3d. ; 
was afterwards reduced to 2d. , and then another paper was 
issued from the same office called ' ' The West Riding Penny 
Post." These papers were subsequently merged into the 
present " Leeds and West-Riding Express," published every 
Saturday at the price of one penny. Although the paper 
has recently changed hands, it still advocates advanced liberal 
principles. Without being opposed to any well conducted 
efforts for the promotion of education, it advocates a national 
unsectarian, in preference to a voluntary system. The 
present proprietors are Messrs. R. M. Carter, and Frederick 
Jackson. The editors are Mr. Lloyd Jones and Mr. Frederick 

Spark. 29th. The boiler connected v.itli the HarehiUs- 

lane colliery, York-road, Leeds, the property of Messrs. 
Garside, exploded, and resulted in the immediate death of 
Mr. Joseph Garside, aged 30, one of the firm, the serious 
injnrj^ of George Haigli, the enginemau, and the subse- 
quent death of a boy named Charles Crann. 

1858. Jan. 5th. Died, very suddenly, in his 52nd year, Mr. 
William AMiitehead, the Leeds borough trea.surer. In the 
year 1840 he was elected a member of tlie town council for 



706 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1858— Jan. 

the north west ward, v/as unseated on a point of law, and 
re-elected for the same ward in 1841. In 1842 he resigned 
his seat in the council and was elected chief clerk of the 
board of works. In the year 1855 he was appointed to the 
office of borough treasurer, Mr. Whitehead was a clear 
headed man, indefatigable in industry, and courteous in 
manners. He was esteemed as a valuable public officer, and 
much respected in private life for his upright character and 
good sense. 

13th. Mr. Bethel Parkinson, farmer, Raggles Inn, North- 
owram, near Halifax, was found murdered in a field at Wads- 
worth. He had been stabbed repeatedly with a large carving 
knife. The whole of the left side of his body was hacked 
in the most horrible manner. Not content with this, the 
murderer took from an adjoining wall a stone weighing 
201b3, and as his victim lay extended, face dowuAvards upon 
the earth, dashed it upon the back of his head completely 
smashing part of the skull, and driving the face into the 
earth with such force, that when the body was removed the 
earth bore the impress of the features. On the 15th and 
16th of March at the Yorkshire spring assizes, Joseph Shep- 
herd was charged with having committed the murder — found 
guilty and sentenced to death. He was executed on the 3rd 
of April, in the presence of more than 10,000 people, having 
made no confession of his guilt beyond the statement that 
he knew who had committed the murder. Shepherd's con- 
duct from the time the awful sentence of death was pro- 
nounced upon him, to the time he v»^as ushered into eternity 
was of the most hardened and impenitent character. He 
was throughout lost to all sense of religion, and thoughts of 

eternity, 14th. An attempt was made to assassinate 

the Emperor and Emperess of the French, as they were 
proceeding to the opera at Paris. Several shells filled with 
fulminating powder were thrown at the carriage in which 
were seated the Eaiperor and Emperess — they escaped, but 
six persons were killed and 123 wounded. The assasins were 
Italians, and members of a secret society. Two of them 
Orsini and Perri were executed on the 13th of March follow- 
ing. —25th. The Princess Royal of England was married 

to Prince Frederick William of Prussia, in the chapel royal 
St. James' palace. Demonstrations of loyalty took place 
throughout the country in honour of the event. In Leeds 
the day was mostly observed as a holiday. The town council 
voted a congratulatory address to her majesty and the prince 
consort, which was followed by a procession partly military, 



I 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 707 

1858.— Jan. 

and partly civil, to Woodhouse moor, where a /e u de joie was 
fired : next came a banquet at the Welliugtoii-hall, presided 
over by the mayor, and finally there was a concert at the 
Music-hall, followed by a ball at the Assemblj^ Rooms. 

25th. The Leeds town council appointed Mr. W. E. Hep- 
per borough treasurer at a salary of £300, vice Mr. Whitehead 
deceased. The votes were Mr. Hepper 28, Mr. Edward 
Heaton IT, Mr. Allison 12. 2nd vote, Mr. Hepper, 34, 
Mr. Heaton, 19. 

Feb. 1st. A public meeting was held at the Music-haU, 
Leeds, over which the mayor Peter Fairbairn, Esq., pre- 
sided, for the purpose of memoriahzing the government to 
carry out strict impartiality and justice in India, with regard 

to religion. 1st. Died, aged 65, at Shadwell Grange^ 

near Leeds, David Cooper, Esq., a deputy lieutenant for 
the West-Riding of York>ihire, and a gentleman whose 
sterling worth, unassuming manners, and quiet deportment, 
led him to be universall}- respected. As a merchant he held 

a first position in the town. 3rd. The Leeds to^Tn 

council elected Mr. James Kitson, alderman, in the place of 

IVIr. Hepper resigned. 5th. About twelve o'clock this 

day a most awful explosion took place at Mr. Bywater's fire- 
work manufactory, at the Queen's public-house, Scotland- 
street, Sheffield, by which three persons — Mr. ByT\^ater, 
Ann Corbridge, and Harriet Walker unfortunately lost their 
lives 19th. The ministry of Lord Palmerston was de- 
feated on the conspiracy bill by 234 against 21 5, and resigned 
in consequence. Lord Derby fonned a ministry. 

27th. Two beautiful pieces of plate were presented to 
Francis Carbutt, Esq., of Leeds, by the members of the 
West-Riding Reform Registration Association, on his re- 
tirement from the chairmanship of that body, as a testimo- 
nial of their appreciation of his services, and their high 
estimation of his character. The testimonial comprises a 
silver centre-piece and inkstand, the design of the former 
being of the most chaste and elegant character. It consists 
of a palmyra tree tliree feet high, with peculiarl}'- light and 
graceful fohage — the trunk being in bright silver, and the 
foliage in frosted silver ; and at the foot two female figures, 
representing the daughter of Pharaoh and her attendant 
discovering the infant Moses among the bulrushes. The prin- 
cess is descending a flight of steps from a palace garden to 
the river Nile ; and her countenance and attitude, as well as 
those of her attendant, are beautifully expressive of wonder 
and compassion at the discovery of the little foundling. 



708 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK AND 

1858.— Feb. 

The water is represented in briglit silver, and the ark and 
the bulrushes, as well as the figures, are in frosted silver. 
The whole rests on a richly ornamented plynth, supported 
by three sphinxes of great beauty. The inkstand is of the altar 
and sarcophagus pattern, with a Roman lamp on the top ; 
it is extremely chaste and beautiful. Each piece bears the 
following inscription : — 

"Presented to Francis Carhutt. Esq , by the committee and mem- 
bers of the West-Riding Reform Registration Association, in grateful 
acknowledgement of his long and valuable services as their chai-man. 
February, 1858 " 

March 12th. At the Yorkshire spring assizes Mr. John 
Moore, of Pudsey, near Leeds, was charged with having 
forged a receipt for money, with intent to defraud John 
Ripley, cloth finisher, Leeds. He was found guilty but 
recommended to mercy, and was sentenced to penal servitude 

for a period of three years. 13th. At the York assizes 

John Hainsworth, and Josiah Williamson were charged with 
having on the night of the 13th of February, burglariously 
entered the house of the Rev. A. G. Kinsman, of Gildersome, 
and stolen therefrom £30. The prisoners with three other 
fellows entered the house of the prosecutor, masked, and 
armed with pistols. They forced him to retire to bed, and 
then compelled him to tell where his money was, on pain of 
having his brains blown out. The two prisoners were found 
g-uilty, and sentenced to penal servitude for the term of their 

natural lives. 15th. An annular eclipse of the sun took 

place this day. The event was looked forward to by millions 
of the inhabitants of this country with an unusual degree of 
interest and excitement. The exact time at which the eclipse 
began at Leeds was llh. 36m. Is. ; the period of greatest 
obscuration was at 1 p.m. ; the period at which the eclipse 
terminated was 2h. 10m. Is., and reckoning the sun's 
diameter as 1,000, the extent of his disc eclipsed as seen at 
Leeds was 983. At the commencement of the eclipse at 
Leeds, and for three hours before the heavens were so 
clouded that the sun could not be seen, and continued so 
up to one o'clock. At this time a sudden opening in the 
clouds revealed half a ring of light, as thin as the thinnest 
crescent of the new moon, but of a much whiter and stronger 
light. The figure of the sun bore a resemblance to the form 
of a half circle. For about thirty five minutes the sun was 
almost constantly visible, and every minute made the crescent 
broader, and brought back his radiance. Very few of the 
anticipitated effects were realized. The physical aspect of 



THE SURROUXDTNG DISTRICT. 709" 

]8yS— March. 

nature underwent no observable changes not common to 
days of ordinary cloudiness, and bii'ds and animals did not- 
betray any of the unusual symptoms predicted by Mr. Hind 

and others. On the 19th of March the whole of Luck-* 

now was in the possession of the British forces, about 2,000 

of the enemy were killed during the siege. 20th. The 

extensive warehouse and store rooms attached to the manu- 
factiiring premises of Mr. William Anderton, spinner ajid 
mn7iufacturer, Bingley, were destroyed by fire. The value 
of the property destroyed was at least £15,000. George 
-IndersoTj, aged 47, who was engaged in saving the property; 

was burnt to death. 24th. The foundation stone of the. 

Holbeck Mechanics' Institute, situate in Sweet-street, west, 
was laid by James Garth Marshall, Esq. The site of the 
building was liberally presented bj' Messrs. Marshall, andj 
the cost of erection Avas raised by voluntary subscriptions* 
amounting to about £1,800. It is a neat and commodious 
structure in the Italian style of architecture, faced with, 
brick and sto e dressings, and having an open porch over the 
entrance. It is from designs by Mr. E. Milnes of Bradford,, 
and consists of three floors — the basement floor being appro-', 
priated to the resident's ofiices, warming apparatus, <\:c., the 
groimd floor, a reading room, library, committee room, and 
class rooms ; and the third floor as a lecture-hall. There ar« 
five commodious class rooms, and the reading room and librarjr 
is 34 feet 6 inches by 24 feet 6 inches, and 14 feet high. 
Tlie lecture hall is 69 feet 3 inches by 34 feet 6 inches, the 
height being 21 feet. It will hold about 600 persons. The 
inauguration of the new institute toolc place on the 27th oi 
December following, when the Earl of Carlisle, the Dean of 
Ptipon, and others took part in the proceedings. 

Guardians of the Poor of the tovrnship of Leeds, elected 
April 5th, 1858 :— 

Those in brackets were elected. 
East, [Joseph Lohley, l/D, -John Thompson, 166,] William Browii, 

150, William Wray, HI. Kirkg.ate, [Denni.s Topham Moss^ 

127, Henrr Birker, 122,1 Charle.- Crahtree, 115, Henry Stead, 104, 

William Reid, 28. Mill-Hii L, [Henry Dufton, 274, William 

Clarke, 250, Charles Pegler, 246.] John Iredale. 228, Richard Bi!*«- 

ington, 227, Thomas Galloway, 219, Joseph Smith, 22. North, 

[Samuel Myers, 180, Nathaniel Sharre, 1^9,] John Kaye, 115, 

Thoma-sCoggiH', 65. North-East, [Samuel Law.son, 218, William 

Middleton, 209,] Thoma.'^ Bnimfit, 85, Jo.seph Gdpin, 83. NoR tb- 

Wrst, [David Newton, 255, Henry Bailey Legg, 255,] John Daniel, 

137, Thomas Ror.ston, 133. South, 'Hargreave.s Hudson, iH 

60 



710 AOTJALS OF LEEDS, YORK AND 

1868.— April. 

William Kirk, 80,] John Kirk, 33, Thomas Wright, 28. Wbst, 

[John Woodhead, 342, Richard William Moore, 328, David Lindsay, 
318,] Thomas Heaps, 313, Thomas Tilney, 305, James Watson, 
^4. William Middleton was elected chairman. 

April 5tli. The members of the Leeds Building and In- 
vestment Society dined together in the large room at Kelly's 
Great Northern Hotel, Wellington-street, to commemorate 
the closing of the society, and to present a token of respect 
to Mr. Frederick Jackson, the acting trustee. The testimo- 
nial consisted of a beautiful centre-piece for dessert, and two 
flower vases to match, in richly frosted silver, representing 
jrockwork, shrubs, wild flowers, and birds. The inscription 
on the plate was as follows : — 

"Presented to Mr. F. Jackson by the members of the Leeds 
Building and Investment Society, as a token of their respect for his 
long continued faithful and gratuitous s;ervices as acting trustee." 

The society was founded on the 6th of April, 1846. There 
had been 1,112 members, and 115 of them had borrowed 
money to the extent of £39,984 13s. 9d., for building their 
houses. The investors had withdrawn £40,495 14s, 4d. 
The total income of the society had been £102,847 13s. 7d. 

6th. The foundation stone of the new Grammar School, 
St. John's-hill, Woodhouse, Leeds, was laid by the Lord 

Bishop of Ripon. 22nd, The court of Queen's Bench 

refused to grant a criminal information against Dr. F. R. 
Lees, of Leeds, on the application of Mr. J, B, Gough, both 
well known temperance lecturers, for a series of alleged 
libels, reflecting on the character of the latter gentleman. 
An action of libel followed this proceeding, which came off 
on the 21st of June, and terminated in a verdict by conseii.t 
for the plaintiff, with five guineas damages, and a fuH and 
distinct withdrawal by Dr. Lees, of the charges which he had 

made against Mr. Gough. 27th. The Rev, W. P. 

Brook, aged 25, curate of Holy Trinity, Ely, only son of 
Mr. Councillor Brook, Lyddon House, Leeds, was knocked 
down and killed by a train, whilst walking on the Eastern 
Counties Railway, at Ely. He was educated at the Leeds 
Grammar school, and graduated at Oxford. He was a young 
man of earnest practical piety, and was highly esteemed by 

those under his care. 30th. The very Rev. Sir William 

Cockburn, Bart., dean of York, died at Kelston rectorj^, 
near Bristol, aged 84 years. He was a fellow of St. John's 
college, Cambridge, where he graduated B.A., in 1795, as 
twelfth wrangler, and was appointed dean of York in 1822. 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 71 1 

1858.— May. 

He was the ninth baronet of the name, and was succeeded 
by his nephew Sir A. Cockburn. He was a liberal minded 
man, and was very popular, especially among the middle 
and humbler classes of society. The deanery of York wa« 
conferred (on the 18th of May) upon the Hon. and Rev. 
Augustus Duucombe. 

May 5th. The town of Halifax was thrown into the ut- 
most consternation by a horrible murder, which was com- 
mitted at the Guardian newspaper office of that town. It 
appears that the compositors at the office had but just re- 
turned from dinner ; a number of them were in the first 
compositors room upstairs, the room next to George-street, 
and two others, one of them the unfortunate deceased, Mr. 
James Edward Jacobs, and the other his murderer, a young 
man about twenty years of age named William Dawson, 
were in a further room looking into George-street-yard. 
The two latter were at work, and just before the melancholy 
affiiir, Dawson had fetched from one of the other men a pinch 
of snufi" for Jacobs. No quarrel in words was heard be- 
tween the two, but it seems the murderer shut the door and 
fastened it, and without a moments warning commenced all 
attack on Jacobs with iron dumb bells. After this, and ap- 
parently becoming still more furious, he seized an iron press- 
stang, about two and a half yards long, and beat the de- 
ceased about the head with that. Still further, he seized a 
hatchet, and "vvitli it cut away at the face and head of his 
victim. The workmen in the adjoining room became alarmed 
with the noise going on, and broke open the door. The sight 
that presented itself was fearful. The dead body of the man 
who but a few moments before was vigorous with life, and 
all the strength of manhood, was laid on its back in the room, 
gashed, beaten, and bruised- in a most dreadful manner, 
especially about the head and face. The murderer and his 
victim were always on the most friendly terms, and worked 
side by side together. Dawson was always considered a quiet 
inofiensive studious youth. After the murder he conducted 
himself like a perfectly sane man, talked sensibly, and de- 
scribed the murder, but a scene occurred at the inquest 
during the evidence of Mr. Tucker, surgeon, who was speak- 
ing to a recent interview he had with the prisoner, which left 
no doubt but that he was mad. The surgeon had just 
expressed a fear that the i)risoner was imbecile in his generic 
organs, when he rose from his seat with the fierceness of a 
tiger, uttering the most hideous yells, and endeavouring to 
cross the table, in order to get at the witness. He had been 



712 AliTNALS OF LEEDS, YOKK, AND 

1858— May. 

^seated between two policemen, but it took eight or ten men 
ito bold bim. He continued bis cries, sajdng when tbe officers 
attempted to soothe him, " what tbe devil did be t'-^U that 
for." So great was tbe violence of tbe prisoner that it was 
found necessary to take tbe evidence of tbe witness in 
another room. Dawson was committed to York on a charge 
oi wilful murder. He was tried on July 14tb, and the jury 
acr[uitted him on the ground of insanity ; and an order Avas 
inade to confine bim during her majesty's pleasure. 

12th. The Leeds town council granted to the town- hail 
committee : — For a clock and bell for the tower £800 ; — For 
laying out the exterior of the building £2,000 ; — For gas 
chandeliers and fittings for tbe largo ball, and other parts of 
the buihling, in addition to £600 previously granted by tbe 

council, £1,650.— 14th. A large warehouse, tbe property 

of Messrs, Jonas Sugden and Brothers, worsted manufac- 
tiirers, situated at Vale Mill, near Keighley, was almost 
Entirely consumed by fire, together witli a very large amount 
of manufactured goods — property to the amount of £10,000 

Ijeing destroyed. 26tb. The twenty first annual meeting 

of the Yorkshire Union of Mechanics' Institutes was held at 
■Sol by. Lord Londesborough presided over the evening soiree. 
By the kindness of tbe noble president, the delegates and 
visitors were enabled on the following day to visit Grimstone 
..Pa,rk. 

• 31st. A tostimonial consisting of a handsome clock, sur- 
imounted by a beautiful equestrian group, was presented to 
■Mr. R. S. Burton, the organist of the Leeds parish church, 
by the members of bis choir and orchestra. It bore the 
'following inscription : — 

■ " Presentpd to Robert Senior Burton, hy the members of his choir 
and orche.stra, in gmteiul acknowledtiment of the zeul and ability 
'which he has ever i!e voted to the cause of music. May 1858." 

". On Thursday afternoon the 3rd of June, a severe and pro- 
tracted thunderstorm passed over Leeds and the neighbour- 
liood. One of the pinnacles of St. John's church tower, 
Xeeds, was struck by the lightning, as was also a bouse at 
Burley, but in neither case was the damage extensive. Tbe 
Bramhope tunnel on the North Eastern line gave way at tbe 
.Leeds end, and tbe water rushed through in a perfect torrent, 
and with tremendous noise. A train proceeding through tbe 
tunnel about six o'clock, was met by the current and forced 
to put back, this was effected very slowly, the train being 
in tbe tunnel more than an hour. On its re-arrival at the 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 7l3 

1858.— Junk. 

uortli end, the accumulation of rubbish had been made so 
great, that the passengers had to leave the carriages and 
walk back to Arthington. They were subsequently sent 
round by York, and reached Leeds about midnight. Con- 
siderable damage was done to i:)roperty at Bradford and 
Halifax. Tlie streets at the former place had not been so 
much flooded since February 1838, when according to the 
"Bradford year Book" a man swam down Market-street. 

loth. A thunderstorm did damage to the extent of several 
thousands of pounds at Chats worth. The rain literally fell 
in torrents, and was succeeded by hailstones, some of wliicb 
Avere six inches in circumference. So fearful a devastation 
at Chatsworth house and grounds was never known before. 

16th. Dief', aged 80 years, the Rev. Jabez Bunting, D.D., 

an eminent \\e?leyan minister. 16th. The Leeds towii 

council A^oted a salary of £3,000 to the mayor, payable on 
his retirement from office, towards defraying the expenditure 
he would be put to by reason of the Queen's visit. The 
council also voted for paviug the vestibule of the principal 
entrance of the ToAvn-hall £304, for ornamenting principle 

entrance £490 ; for decorating large hall £1,500. The 

tolls of the Smithfieid cattle market, Leeds, having been 
increased by the lessees Messrs. Harrison, a large proportion 
of the cattle dealers removed their business to Wakefield, 
and thus seriously affected the interests of the borough. This 
dispute led to several parties being summonsed before the 
magistrates, for selling articles in the market and North-street 
(luring the summer fair. The town council subsequently 
took the markets out of the hands of the lessees. 

17th. A fearful railway accident occurred at the Spring- 
wood Junction of the Lancashire and Yorkshire, and Lon- 
don and North AVestern Railways, near Huddersfield, by 
which three persons were killed, namely, J. C. Goodwin, 
of Stockton-on-Tees, Thomas Currie, of Liverpool, and Jas- 
per Beard, of Stockport, and twelve others were seriouly in- 
jured. It appears that some luggage wagons had escaped 
from the Honley station down a .steep incline which extends 
from Huddersfield to Brockholes, and had arrived at the 
above point ^v\len. a train from Huddersfield to Manchester 
dashed into the luggage wagons, and thus caused the ac- 
cident. The coroners' jury returned a verdict against some 
person or persons unknown, who had not used due care in 
preventing the escape of the wagons. 

IStli. Robert Baker, Esq., of Leeds, who for twenty four 
years had filled the office of sub-inspector of factories for 



'714 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1858.— Junk. 

this district, was appointed inspector of factories for the 
. Midland district in the place of the late Mr. Howell. 

25th. An accident of a very painful character occurred to 
a pic nic party from Leeds to Bolton Abbey, which resulted 
in the death of Mr. E. J. Green, cashier at the Mount Os- 
borne colliery, Barnsley. It appears that as the party which 
consisted of about thirty ladies and gentlemen, arrived near 
the abbey in an omnibus, Mr. Green' who had up to that 
time been an inside passenger, got out and mounted on the 
- top, upon which he stood. He had not however been out 
inore than three minutes, and vrhilst evidently intent on the 
, beauties on which he was gazing, when a projecting bough 
struck him on the head, and knocked him off the omnibus 
on to the road, the back part of his head touching the ground. 
He was taken up insensible ; medical assistance was obtained, 
but he gradually sunk, and expired on the following morning 

from concussion of the brain. 29th. The Bradford 

Festival Choral Society numbering 210, by command, sung 
.before her Majesty and the court at Buckingham Palace. 

30th. The Headingley gardens were this day closed as a 
place of public resort. 

July 7th. The Leeds town council granted the Town-hall 
committee £800 for furnishing the mayors' rooms, and an 
additional £100 for decorating the vestibule. 
• yVbout eight o'clock in the evening of July 14th, about 
forty or fifty men of the 18th Light Dragoons, stationed at 
Leeds, made a most cowardly and outrageous attack on four 
policemen in North-street. They afterwards proceeded 
through the town, assaulting every policeman they met. 
Police officers Heaton and Bellliouse were seriously injured. 

N'one of the soldiers A^^ere identified. 23rd. The Leeds 

town council granted the parliamentary committee £200, for 
the purpose of carrying on tlie proceedings for the removal 
of the West-Riding Assizes from York to Leeds. 

August 1st. A most barbarous and cruel murder was com- 
mitted at the quiet and secluded village of Darley, near 
Ripley. The victim was Mary Jane Scaife, aged 22 years, 
daughter of. Mr. Thomas Scaife, a respectable farmer re- 
siding at Darley, and her murderer James Atkinson, is the 
son of Mr. Thomas Atkinson, flax-spinner, of Fringall, a 
gentleman of some local position, and possessing consider- 
able property. The deceased and the murderer had been 
companions from childhood, the affection of children ex- 
tending itself to that of love as they grew to womanhood and 
manhood. On the Sunday evening (1st Aug.) they had at- 



THE SURROUISDING DISTRICT. 715 

185S.— Aug 

tended Hart-\vitli chapel in company, and on returning were 
seen about nine o'clock to go up Stump-lane, apparently on 
very good terms. Shortly afterwards Atkinson returned 
home, and went to bed. On the following morning the de- 
ceased was found hiid on her back in Stump-lane, with her 
head nearly cut off. Atkinson was taken into custody as 
being the last person seen in lier comj^aiiy. He at once con- 
fessed the murder, and went with the officer to a wall where 
he had placed tlie knife Avith which he had committed tlie 
dreadful deed. It was supposed that he had been incited to 
commit the deed from jealousy, he having seen the deceased 
in company with a person of the name of Gill, a few nights 
before the murder. The prisoner said he had murdered her 
because their marriage had been opposed by his father, and 
her mother, and because the girl had stated that she would 
not have him. He made an extraordinary confession giving 
the minutest details as to the murder, Szc. He was committed 
to York on a charge of wilful murder, and tried on the 16tli of 
December. The prisoner refused to plead in the usual way 
guilty or not guilty, feigning the greatest stupidity, asking 
" What d'ye mean ? (^jc. " The judge ordered a plea of 7iot 
guilty to be recorded. The trial then commenced, and occu- 
pied three days. At its conclusion the jury were absent three 
hours and a half : on returning into court the foreman first 
gave a verdict of " guilty, " upon which some of the jurors 
called out "not guilty," and he then corrected himself and 
said "we find the prisoner no!: rndltii on the ground of in- 
sanity" ; a verdict the propriety of which has often been 
questioned. He was ordered to be confined during her 
majesty's pleasure. In July of the following year he ex- 
hibited very violent conduct, and was removed from York 
Castle to St. George's Lunatic Asylum, London. 

4th. The foundation stone of the jS'ew College, Rawden, 
Yorkshire, in connexion witji the Northern Baptist Educa- 
tion Society, established at Horton, Bradford, in 1804:, for 
educating young men for the ministry of tlie gospel, v/as 
laid by Thomas Aked, Esq., of Shipley Grange. The ntjle 
adopted is the Tudor. The length of the front is 280 feet — 
the library, lecture rooms, class roon^is, and tutor's residence, 
occupying the centre portion, and the students apartments 
extending right and left. The site contains about seven 

acres, and is at the top of Crag Wood. 5th. Her 

Majesty and the Prince Consort visited the Emperor of the 
French at Cherbourg, at the opening of the Nai)oleon docks. 

5th. The Atlantic telegrapli cable, after two unsuccessful 



716 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1858.— Aug. 

attempts, was laid from the coast of Ireland to that of New- 
foundland, and messages were transmitted by it, but a few 
days after the cable broke, and the defe-ct has not yet been 

repaired. 23rd. A fearful railway accident occurred on 

the Oxford, Worcester, and "Wolverhampton Railway, be- 
tween Round Oak, and Brettell-lane station, near Dudley, 
by which fifteen persons were killed, and a many others 
seriously injured. The cause of the accident was the break- 
ing of the coupling of two of the carriages, and the conse- 
quent rush of twelve or thirteen others down a steep incline. 
29th. Died, aged 82, Mr. William Hirst, cloth manufac- 
turer, of Leeds. He was born in 1777 near Huddersfield, 
of parents who were so poor that they Avere unable to give 
him the most ordinary education. He came to Leeds when 
about eighteen years of age, and worked first as a journey- 
man cloth dresser. About the year 1810 he began basiness 
on his own account as a cloth dresser and manufacturer. At 
that time Yorkshire woollen cloths were looked upon with 
great disfavour, the west of England cloths bearing away 
the palm, both as regards quality and finish ; commanding 
nearly double the price of the former, although made from 
precisely the same quality of wool. This was no doubt owing 
to the fact that hand labour Avas still employed in the north 
in dressing, while in the west it had given place to machinery. 
Mr. Hirst therefore in 1813 began to have his goods finished 
by machinery, and made woollen cloth of such a quality as 
had never before been throv/'n ofi" a Yorkshire loom. He 
stood alone in this part of the country as a finisher by ma- 
chinery, and his life in consequence was frequently threatened 
by the croppers, who thus saw their well-paid occui)ation 
entirely destroyed. The result of the new system enabled 
Mr. Hirst to realise from 20s. to 34s. per yard for Yorkshire 
cloths, which before had commanded prices varying from 
10s. to 14s. per yard, and the demand much overtaxed his 
powers of supply. Almost eA'^ery improvement in the Leeds 
cloth manufacture from 1813 to 1825, Avas introduced by him. 
He introduced spinning mules, Lewis's machine, and an im- 
portant improvement upon that machine, and the first work- 
ing of hydraulic presses, Mr. Hirst Avas ahvays ready to 
show strangers and persons in the same business OA'"er 
his works, so that others followed in his AA-ake, and also 
reaped golden harA^ests. He had retired from business in 
1825, having 'amassed a splendid fortune, but the panic of 
that year involved the firm that succeeded him, and he also 
was a great sufferer by their failure. He manfully took the 



THE SUSROUNDING DISTEICT. 717 

1858.— Aug. 

concern upon liis o^^n shoulders, and in spite of his limited 
capital and his bankruptcy in 1839, Avorked it until 1833, 
when his mercantile career was brought to a close. He could 
not recover his position, and was once more a poor man. 
From this time to his dyiug day he believed that he was tlie 
victim of fraud and conspiracy, and that he was kept down 
by those who were reaping fortunes from his improvements. 
This delusion led him fre(j[aently to abuse and misrepresent 
parties who were no doubt anxious to assist him. Subscrip- 
tions were from time to time raised for his beuelit, Mr. 
Hirst has been justly styled the father of the Yorkshire 
woollen trade, and there is no doubt lie was in his dnj a 
public benefactor, and the towji and trade of Leeds especially 
are greatly indebted to his energy, skill, and perseverance. 
What a pity that the declining years of such a man should 
have been passed in poverty ! In November following, the 
Earl of Derby granted £100 from lier Majesty's royal 
bounty, on behalf of the daughter-in law, and grandson of 
the deceased, who had ministered to the old man's comforts 
in his declining years, and a subscription was also raised in 
their behalf. 

Sept. 4th. A fearful boiler explosion took place at the 
mill of Mr. Samuel Almond, woollen manufacturer. Gilder- 
some, near Leeds, which resulted in the death of John Br;id- 
ley, aged 18, the fireman, George Wofiington, a boy (jf 14 
years, Samuel Halliday, aged 22, Alice Wright, aged 21, 
and Caroline Gregson, besides serious injury to several other 
persons. The explosion was caused by the carelessness of a 
boy in allowing the boiler to become red-hot, and then turning 

cold water in to cool it. 4th. The mayor of Leeds, (Peter 

Fairbairn, Esq.) munificently presented to the corporation 
a splendid and admirable statue of the Queen, by ISToble the 
sculptor. It is erected in tiie vestibule of the Town-haU. 
The statue is colossal, being eight feet six iaches high, and 
is made of a block of Carrara marble of the very finest 
quality, spotless aad pure. In front of the pedestal is the 
simple inscription "Queen Victoria, 1858." It cost the 
mayor a thousand guineas. 

The Queen's visit to Leeds, — Sept. 6th. and 7th. Queen 
Victoria's visit to Leeds for the purpose of inaugurating the 
Town-hall, forms one of the brightest events in our local his- 
tory. No sooner was it known that h.er majesty would arrive 
in Leeds on Monday the 6th. of Sept. and open the Town-baU 
on the following day, than a general anxiety was manifested 
to give her a right loyal welcome. The inhabitants seized 



718 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1858.— Sept. 

the occasion to dress the town in the gayest costume. The 
preparations to receive her majesty were on a gigantic scale, 
and of the utmost splendour; and, notwithstanding the unfa- 
vourable state of the weather — a heavy, sleety drizzle falling 
in the afternoon of the 6th. , accompanied by gusts of cold, raw 
wind — yet the streets Avere crowded to excess. The station 
was very tastefully and handsomely decorated. Sheds and 
rows of seats, covered with scarlet cloth, and filled with ladies 
and gentlemen, gave an air of animation and pleasure to the 
scene. That part of the platform where the Queen was to 
alight was draped with scarlet cloth, and here were assembled 
the Earl of Derby, Earl Fitzwilliam, the Earl of Hardwicke, 
the Mayor and Mayoress, Viscount Goderich, Sir Harry Smith, 
Mr. William Fairbairn, thenephew of the Mayor, Mr. Denison 
M.P., the chairman of the company, the High Sheriff, and 
the whole of the Aldermen and Town Council of the borough. 
A quarter past six p.m. was the time her Majesty was 
expected to arrive ; and accordingly, at that period, almost 
to the very second, the train glided into the station. The 
guard of honour of the 22nd saluted ; the artillery began its 
regular salvos ; and amid cheers and waving of handkerchiefs, 
her Majesty alighted on the platform. The Earl of Derby 
and the Mayor were the first to welcome her to Leeds. The 
Mayoress gracefully bowed a profound welcome, and had the 
honour of presenting her Majesty with a magnificent bouquet 
of the most costly flowers. A few minutes were occupied in 
conversation, when the Queen, leaning on the arm of the 
Prince Consort, and followed by the Princesses Alice and 
Helena, passed out of the station, the Mayor going before 
them, the members of the corporation standing at each side 
and cheering. Once her Majesty's carriage was fairly seen 
outside the railway station, there arose such a cheer as has 
seldom been heard before. It was the cheer not only of the 
thousands to whom she was visible, but the cheers of all 
along the line of route : it was caught up and pasr^ed from 
street to street, over crowded housetops, and into places far 
removed from where the Queen would pass — one long sus- 
tained outburst of loyal enthusiasm. It was not alone a 
shout of welcome to her Majesty, but one of gratification at 
the knowledge that she was at last the guest of Leeds, and 
that for a time, if only for a few hours, the borough became 
the seat of empire of the greatest monarchy of the earth. 
Slowly from the railway the royal carriage descended into 
the streets — a little speck among the great mass of human 
beings who, shouting and cheering, pushing and throwing 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 719 

1858.— S KPT. 

their hats and handkerchiefs into the air, as if they 
were demented, thronged up the streets, half wild with 
exultation and dehght. From the station her Majesty- 
proceeded to Woodsley House, the seat of IVIr. (now 
Sir Peter) Fairbairn, the Mayor of Leeds, everywhere 
meeting with the same ovation. The route taken was along 
Wellington-street, Queen-street, Park-street, Park- square, 
and past St. George's church, up Clarendon-road to Woods- 
ley House. Soon after her Majesty's arrival at the house, 
the royal commands were laid on Mr. Fairbairn to join the 
dinner party that evening. The other guests were the Earl 
of Derby, Lady Churchill, the Hon. Miss Stop ford. Sir 
Charles Phipps, Major-General the Hon. G. Grey, and 
Lieutenant -Colonel the Hon. F. Ponsonby, with Miss Hild- 
yard. 

Illuminatiox. — From all parts of the country round the 
visitors had been flocking in on foot, in carts, by rail or road, 
or any avenue that led to Leeds. Every conveyance that 
could bear the strain of a beast of draught, and many that 
would not, and with which the experiment ought never to 
have been attempted, was pressed into the service. Not less 
than 150,000 or 200,000 people were crowded into the streets. 
Briggate. Boar-lane, Wellington-street, and Upperhead-row ; 
and, in fact, all the places best illuminated, were thronged. 
In Briggate and Upperhead-row the efiect was beautiful ; 
for neither m.oney nor trouble had been spared upon the 
adornment of these tlioroughfares. The first-named street 
was crossed in all directions ^vith festoons of artificial flowers, 
so as to form across b >th road and paths a perfect arcade, 
from the wreaths of which depended coloured lamps. The 
transparencies and illuminations, too, along the house-fronts 
were brilliant and varied, equalling those which once before 
were displayed in Leeds on the occasion of the fall of Sebas- 
topol. It was past twelve o'clock before the last of the 
lamps went out. 

Tuesday the 7th was looked forward to as the greatest day 
that Leeds had yet seen ; but alas ! the morning broke with 
heavy clouds, thick mist, and drizzling rain. From the 
earliest hours, however, thousands upon thousands came 
flocking into Leeds from all parts. Every street and alley 
of the town seemed thronged, and still thousands upon thou- 
sands kept comiQg in per rail' from York, Bradford, Wake- 
fieM, and Pontefract, until it seemed a question whether the 
last comers would find room enough even to get out of the 
trains. The arrangements made on the line of route from 



720 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1S58~Sept. 

Woodsley House to the Towii-liall were excellent. The 
streets ^v^ere transformed for the day into a series of floral 
avenues, colonnades, and triumjjhal arches. Kot only was 
the line throughout well kept by the constables of London 
and the district police, but by the friendly societies of Leeds, 
Y\dio were wisely pressed into the service, and lined the bar- 
riers inside along the whole route. Their members wore no 
insignia or badge, except a laurel leaf in the buttonhole, 
and white gloves, and on the royal procession passing they 
simply removed their hats, but took no part in the cheering. 
The greatest scene along the whole route of lier Majesty's 
procession w^as at Woodhouse moor, vvhere the children of 
the Sunday schools were mustered, to the number of more 
than 32,000, of almost every age and ever}^ religious de- 
nomination. On the banks of the reservoir which bounds the 
western extremity of the plain of Woodhouse moor were 
collected some 00,000 or 70,000 persons, who had made the 
best of the vantage-ground which vras here presented. Tier 
above tier they rose in dense masses, and it may be questioned 
whether such a multitude was ever before seen packed into 
so small a sj^ace. In the centre of the amphitheatre formed 
by these living walls stood tl.\e children, in two huge divisions, 
amounting to (inclusive of teachers) more than 16,000 each, 
divided into districts, parishes, and schools, and distin- 
guished by their orange, crimson, or blue banners. The 
children vfere disposed upon two immense j)latforms or 
galleries, betv^een which the royal cortege passed, each being 
about 170 yards in length ; deptli 27 and 45 feet respectively. 
In the centre was a sort of elevated pulpit for the general 
director and his assistants, and above this was a tall rostrum, 
in which stood the musical conductor, Mr. Longbottom, the 
movements of whose baton were to sway and to modulate the 
fresh young voices of the crowd beneath him. From this 
centre, radiating equalty on all sides, were ]>osted signalmen, 
with huge boards, on which were printed in the largest of 
letters the various signals, as, '' Prepare to cl^eer !" "Sing !" 
"Silence!" and "Dismiss!" 

The Procession" to the Totv^s-hall. — Her Majesty left 
Woodsley House at half-past ten, and proceeded up Claren- 
don-road, along St. John's hill, across Woodhouse moor, 
down Woodhouse-lane, ITpperhead-row, Briggate, Boar -lane, 
Wellington- street, West-street, Park-place, East-parade, to 
the Town-hall. The procession was a very long one, and 
consisted of the Mayor, and corporation, in their robes, and 
in carriages, &c. ; a squadron of the 18th Hussars, and a 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 721 

185S.— Skpt. 

sqnaciron of the 2iid ^.Vest York Light Tufaiitiy, c\:c. The 
royal procession however, consisted only of three carriages. 
The first coutained General Grc^y, her Majesty's Eqiierry ; 
vSir Charles Phipps, K.C.B., Privy Purse; and Colonel 
Ponsouby, the Prince Conjiort's Eciuerry. The second con- 
tained tiie Earl of Derb}-, Minister in attendance ; Miss 
Hildyard, the Princesses' Governess ; Lady CJmrchill and 
the Hon. Miss Stopford, Maids of Honour to the Queen. 
The third coutained the Queen, ilie Prince Consort, the 
Princess Alice, and the Princess Helena. Sir Harry Smith, 
K.C.B., rode on the left of her ^Majesty, :uid Earl Fitz- 
vrilliam (Lord Lieutenant of the West- Riding) on the right. 
At the tinje her Majesty started the clouds brolco up, and 
the sun sho}'e fully as she came upon the moor amid the 
children. As the cortege came in sight of the children's 
platforms the signals '' Prepare to ciieer" rose up on every 
side, but th.cy were needless ; the diiriculty Vv'as t<^ keep the 
children quiet. 30,000 little trebles set ag^ ing are mt so 
easily stopT>ed ; and some time elapsed before the sliouis 
ceased, and the thundering bass aceo]npanim.ent of the jtopu- 
lace outside Avent rumbling away in the distance. Tj.on the 
conductor waved his liand, and slowly swelling upwards, like 
a vast < rgau of human voices, came " God save the Queen." 
Witli the first notes her Majest}^ held up her hand, and the 
carriage halted in the centre of the moor amid the cliiklren, 
while tlie great choir of singers went pealing forth t>.eir att- 
them with such a truth and sublimity as seemed to move 
even tlie most distant hearers. Wiien this was over the pro- 
cession continued its vray, and the hymns of the children 
continued — the Jong soft notes of every psalm resounding 
far and near, and makiug themselves heard above the cheer- 
ing, even when tlie procession v/as wending its way through 
the most crowded parts of Leeds. From tliis point her 
Majesty's reception was as grand in its enthusiasm as any- 
thing could be. For nearly fou.r miles it Avas one continued 
ovation. At the Town-hall the croAvds were so great that tlie 
barritii-s seemed quite inadequate, and Jit last bent, cracked, 
:ind splintered before the immense ]>ressure. The admirable 
arrangements of the police, hov>-ever, averted all mishap. 
The crowd was pacified, tlie barriers shored up and bound 
with iron bands, and with such aids and exiiortations to 
quietness the afiair Vv'as managed. 

The IxAr(;uRAL Ceremoxies. — At twenty minutes to 
t\v(}lve o'clock the vojul cortege eiitered the gi^eat square in 
whicli tlie hall is situated, vrhen tlie scene quite defies all 

61 



722 A57NALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1858.— Sept. 

attempts to pourtray it in words. The cheers literally 
seemed to rend the air. After acknowledging these salutes 
and those of the guard of honour, her Majesty and the 
Prince Consort gave their undivided attention to the noble 
building they had come to inaugurate. The Mayor and 
Mayoress received the royal party as they alighted, and the 
Mayor conducted her Majesty and the Prince up the steps of 
the south facade. Repeatedly her Majesty stopped to 
<ixamine and admire the edifice, till she entered the vestibule, 
where the architect, Mr. Brodrick, was in attendance, and 
had the honour of being presented. Here her Majesty had 
an opportunity of seeing the Mayor's princely gift to the 
town — her statue, by Noble, the sculptor. The hall was 
thronged with all the rank and fashion of the county, the 
varied dresses of the choirs above the northern end of the 
hall showing out like a rich parterre, a kind of background 
to the magnificent dresses and uniforms that thronged it in 
every part. As her Majesty entered, the whole mass of 
visitors rose and made the hall echo and vibrate again under 
the great welcome given to their Queen. Yet almost as sud- 
denly as this began it ended, as the Queen, reaching the 
dais, stood with the Princess Alice on her right, the Prince 
Consort and Princess Helena on her left, and the Bishop of 
Pipon, advancing, read aloud, with much solemnity, a 
prayer specially composed for the occasion. The national 
anthem followed, Mrs. Sunderland taking the second verse 
in solo, and then, advancing with the Mayor to the foot of 
the dais, the town clerk, Mr. Ikin, in a distinct tone of voice 
read the following address : — 

TO THE QUEEN '3 MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY. 

May it please your Majesty, 
We, the Mayor, Aldermen, and burgesses of the borough of Leeds, 
bid your Majesty welcome to this your faithful an<i loving town, ojid 
thank you from our hearts lor having granted our prayer that you 
would make this happy and memorable day doubly happy and doubly 
memorable by your auspicious presence. We venture to hope that so 
excellent a judsre of art as your Majesty may find something to ap- 
jirove in the hall in which we are now fur the first time assembled, and 
may be well pleased to see a stirring and thriving seat of English in- 
dustry embellished by an edifice not inferior to those stately piles which 
still attest the ancient opulence of the great commercial cities of Italy 
and Flanders. For the mere purpose of municipal government a less 
spacious and costlj^ building might have sufficed. But in our archi- 
tectural plans we have borne in mind the probability that at no very 
distant tin.e civil and criminal justice may be dispensed to an exten- 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 723 

1858.— Sept. 

sive retrion in this tou-n, the real capital of the West- Riding. "We 
were also desirous to provide a place where large assemblies might 
meet in comfort to exercise their constitutional right of discussing 
public questions, to listen to instruction on literary and philosophical 
subjects, or to enjoy innocent amusements. Confident that nothing 
which concerns the happiness of your subjects, fro.n the solemn ad- 
ministration of those laws which protect our lives and our property 
down to the harmless recreations from which a laborious population 
leturns with new vigour to its toils, can be uninteresting to your 
Majesty, we were encouraged to prefer our request that the opening of 
our hall might be graced by your presence ; and we see witli ]iride and 
pleasure the fulfilment of our hopes. We pray God to bless your 
Majesty; we pray God to prolong your reign; and we know that, ia 
so praying, we are praying for our own happiness and for that of all 
your people. May a long line of descendants be, like you, repaid for 
the mild and constitutional exercise of regal power by the respect and 
love of a free and high-spirited nation. It is probable that in the days 
of those descendants experimental science will have made great pro- 
gress; that inventions of which we have seen the promising infancy 
will have been brought by successive improvements near to perfection"; 
and that the material wealth of our island may be such as would now 
seem fabulous. Yet we trust tliat even then our hall will be seen with 
interest as a memorial of a time when England already enjoyed order 
and freedom, profound tranquility, and steadily iiicreasiiig prosperity, 
under a Sovereign exemplary in the ili^charge of every poiitical 
and of every domestic duty ; and that those who visit this building 
will contemplate it with double interest when they are told that it was 
inaugurated by the good Queen Victoria. 

As this address was presented, her Majesty sent for the 
Earl of Derby, who was in the hall, to stand on the da'is, 
and, taking from his lordship her written reply, her 
Majesty read aloud, amid breathless silence, as follows : — 

Mr. Mayor and Gpntlemen, 

I accept with pleasure your loyal address; and I thank you sin- 
cerely for the cordial welcome with which I have been received. It 
is hijriily gratifying to me to witness the opening of this noble hall — ^a 
work w;di worthy of your uctive industry and enterprising spirit ; and, 
while it will reflect a lasting honour on the tovn of Leeds, I feel as- 
sured that it will also secure to the thriving community whom yoa 
represent the important social and municipal advantages for which 
it is designed. 

The Mayor, the Town Clerk, with the mover and seconder 
of the address, Mr. Alderman Botterill, and Mr. Councillor 
Irwin, had then the honn^:r of kissing hands ; after which 
each member of the corpora! ion Avas presented to her Majesty 
by name. The Town Clerk then read an address to the 
Prince Consort, which his royal highness gracefully ack- 



?24 .INNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, iVSD 

f.858— Sept. 

nowledged. Her Majesty then conferred for a fev*^ minutes 
with the Earl of Derby, and i-aking the sword of General 
Gre}^, signalled to the Mayor t'* kneel, and touching him 
lightly first on the right and then on the left shoulder, saying 
'' iiise Sir Peter Fair bairn, " the Mayor of Leeds rose np, 
amidst tremendous cheering. The Earl of Derby then came 
forward, and, addressing the assembly, said, "I am com- 
manded hy her Majesty to declare that this hall is now 
oj)ened " — an annouiicement which was responded to by loud 
cheers from all pa7:ts of the hall. The Hallelujah chorus 
formed the fitting finale of the opening, which was sung by 
the entire choir in a very effective manner. Her Majesty, 
the Prince Consort, and the Royal Princesses then retired 
from the room amid the cordial farewell acclamations and 
manifestations of all assembled, and proceeded to a suite of 
private apartments in the building, where luncheon had 
been prepared for them. After the lapse of about half an 
hour the roytil party again entered their carriages, and a few 
minutes after one they drove through the streets leading to 
, the North-Eastern Station, which was gaily decorated for 
their reception. A few minutes later, about half-past one 
o'clock, amid reiterated cheers from the spectators, her 
Majesty, accompanied by the Prince Consort, the Princesses 
Alice and Helena, tlie members of the household before 
mentioned, and the Earl of Derby, was on her way to Bal- 
moral. Her Majesty was richly but simply attired, with 
that discriminating taste for which she is remarkable, as well 
in dress as in other matters. Her dress was a rich mauve 
silk with brocaded flounces. Her mantle was of white lace, 
ornamented very elaborately, apparently ^^^ith needlework. 
Her bonnet also was of white lace, with a few simple flowers 
inside, and a short white veil also of lace. Her hair was 
plainly parted on each side of the face in what, we believe, 
is the " Victoria " fashion. The dress was of sufficient am- 
plitude, but nothing to the mountains which some ladies 
indulge in. The Princesses were dressed exactly alike, — 
green and white silk dresses, with violet coloured mantles, 
and light bonnets trimmed with green. The Prince Consort 
wore an ordinary morning dress, with his blue ribbon of the 
Garter. In the afternoon the Mayor, Sir Peter Fairbairn, 
• gave a grand banquet at the Town-hall to a large number of 
guests in honour of her Majesty's gracious visit. 

Description of the Town-hall. — This magnificent build- 
ing covers an area of 5,600 square yards, and is bounded on 
the south by Park-lane, on the north by Great George's- 



y.M'i 




.M7 



-^\ i ^ 



J 



^ 



yj*4-^ 



THE SUKROUNDING DISTRICT. 725 

1858.— Sept. 

street, on the west by Oxford-place, and on tlie east by 
Calverley-street. The site on wliich it is erected was piir- 
chased from John Blayds, Esq., for £9,000. The form of the 
structure is a parallelogram, being 250 feet long by 200 feet 
in breadth. It stands on an elevated platform, and is sur- 
rounded by Corinthian columns and pilasters, supporting an 
entablature and balustrade, altogether about 67 feet in height. 
The large hall rises out of the centre of the building, to a 
lieight of 92 feet from the ground. The south or principal 
facade, which is approached by a handsome flight of 19 steps, 
110 feet in length, has a deeply recessed portico of 1 2 columns, 
ten of them being in front, and two recessed. In the centre 
of this facade, and adjoining the south end of the large hail, 
rises the dome, or tower, which is 225 feet in height. The 
two sides and north end of the building are somewhat similai? 
to the south front, excepting that the columns and pilasters 
wliich surround them are near to the walls, and the inter- 
columns, or spaces between them, have two tiers of circular- 
headed wmdows. The principal entrance is under the soutli 
portico, and consists of a large archway, 32 feet high, by 21 
feet wide. The lower part contains three splendid doors, 
composed of highly ornamented wrought and cast iron Avork, 
glazed. The tympanum of the arch has been filled in with 
an emblematic group of figures, and the panels have been 
elaborately carved, the work being executed by Mr. Thomas, 
of London, the celebrated sculptor of the Houses of Parlia- 
ment. The group represents Leeds in its commercial and in- 
dustrial character, fostering and encouraging the Arts ajid 
Sciences. The central figure, which is almost colossal, is that 
of a female, in free and elegant drapery, having in the out- 
stretched right hand a wreath, and in the left the distaff. 
Immediately behind this figure is a judicial chair, orna- 
mented with rays of light, and flanked by owls, emblema- 
tical of wisdom, as well as being supporters of the arms of 
Leeds. On the right there is a personification of Poetry 
and Music, with the lyre and pipe, a Faun's head, and 
wreath of flowers in the background ; and also a figure 
of Industry looking with anxious care towards the principal 
figure, and holding in her hands samples of textile fabrics. 
She is represented as seated on a bale of goods, and resting 
her arm on an anvil, surrounded by various implements of 
trade. On the left there are also two figures, the one repre- 
senting the Fine Arts, and the other Science. The former 
bears in her hands the emblems of painting, and leans upon 
a Corinthian capital, at the base of which is a bust of Minerva, 



728 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1858.— Sept. 

the latter is represented in an attitude of repose, looking 
with a calm expression upon the figure of the Fine Arts, and 
holding in one hand the compass, in the other a globe, 
marked with the rudiments of geometry, and at her feet lie 
various portions of machinery. The panels forming the ar- 
chitrave to the arch, and spanning the group, are tastefully 
carved with various devices, selected from the arms of the 
town, with scroll ornaments, Szo. The centre panel contains 
the scpvlss of justice, surrounded with palm branches. The 
large paTiels on each side of the entrance doorwaj^s are filled 
in with bold and classic scrolls and foliage, in the centre of 
each of which is a child bearing the fleece, having beneath 
the fasces and other eiiiblems of Power and Justice, and 
above the caduceus of Mercury, sy.ubolic of Order, Peace, 
and Prosperity. The interior of the building is characterised 
by almost unequalled adaptation to the various municipal and 
. judicial purposes it is intended to subserve, besides vfhich it 
is in several iaiportant portions marked by ornamentation of 
the highest style of e-?ceilence. The principal entrance opens 
into a vestibule of verj^ elegant proportions, with a domed 
ceiling, supported by four arches and fluted pilasters of the 
composite order, the apartment beiiM^' 70 feet high, and 48 
feet by 45 feet wide. It is separated fr^^m the large hall by 
a glass screen. In the centre of the vestibule stands a 
-colossal statue, in white uiarble, of Queen Victoria, by 
Miitthew Noble, E:-;q., of London, v/hich stands upon a 
polished granite pedestal. The figure is 8 feet 6 inches 
high, and was presented to the corporation by the Mayor 
(Peter Fairbairn, Esq.) The floor is inlaid A\dth encaustic 
tiles, from the works of Messrs. Minton, Hollins, and Co., 
of Stoke-upon-Trent. The great hall is entered from the 
vestibule, and whetlier viewed in relation to its size, thehar- 
mony of its proportions, or the extreme beauty of its decora- 
tions, it is one of the noblest public rooms in the country. 
Its dimensions are 161 feet long, by 72 feet wide, and 75 
feet high. With the exception of a small balcony over the 
entrance, at the south end, the room is without galleries, 
and the general effect is considerably enhanced by the unin- 
terrupted view thus obtained of the entire hall. It is enriched 
with ornament in relief and in colour, in an almost lavish 
manner, every portion being more or less decorated. The sides 
of the hall are divided into five bays by composite Corinthian 
columns and pilasters, in imitation of Rosso Antico, with 
gilt bronze capitals and bases, standing upon a surbase, in- 
laid with precious and rare specimens of marbles, executed 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 727 

1S5S.— Skpt. 

in the most finished style of painting. The inter-columns 
(or wall spaces between the columns) are of a pale green 
colour, bordered with a fret ornamental margin. The 
columns and pilasters support an enriched entablature, 
which, like the surbase, also run entirely round the halj. 
From this entablature springs the fine circular ceiling, which 
is divided into five bays, corresponding with the columns, 
each bay being subdivided into five compound panels, highly 
ornamented with conventional foliage, in relief and coloured. 
The hall is lighted by ten semicircular windows immediately 
above the eniablature, aud at the springing of the ceiling. 
They are of very large dimensions, and are mixed with stained 
glass, by Messrs. Edmundson and Son, of Manchester. 
Above the windows are appropriate figures and ornaments 
in f iill relief, by Mr. John Thomas, of London. Projecting 
from the centres or key stones are ram's heads, from which 
ar^ Ruspende:! ten magnificent cut glass chandeliers, made 
by Messrs. (.)sler, of Birmingham, specially for the hall. 
The north end of the hall is semicircular on plan, and coved 
at the top, the seats of the orchestra running across the 
front, — the organ, br.ilt b}^ Messrs, Gray and Davidson, of 
London, from designs by Messrs. Smart and Spark, filling 
UP the back. The case for this instrument, from a design by 
Mr. Brodrick, has been made in Leeds, by Messrs. Thorp 
and Atkinson. The ornamental portions are entirely of 
wotxl, and have been carved by Messrs. Matthews and Robin- 
son, of Leeds. The pipes are burnished and diapered in gold, 
th_^ woodwork being either gilded or of polished wainscot. 
On the top are four figures and the Leeds arms, standing in 
bcild relief against the deep azure back ground of the cove, 
pc)V,-dered wiili stars. The outward appearance of the organ 
is in strict "keeping" with the halJ. Appropriate mottoes 
are inscribed in difierent parts of the hall. On the semicir- 
cular frieze at the north end are the words, "Except the 
Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it, " and 
on the corresponding frieze at the opposite end, the text, 
" Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but 
in vain. " The other mottoes are placed on a level with the 
capitals of the columns, and run entirely round the hall : — 
"Honesty the best policy." — "Labor Omnia Vincit." — • 
"Weave Truth with Trust."— " Magna Charta."—" For- 
ward.', — "Deo, Regi, Patriae." — " Trial by Jury. " — "Aus- 
picium Melioris ^vi. " — "Good will towards men." — ■ 
"Virtue the only Nobility." — "In Union is Strength." — 
" Glory to God in the highest." In the second recess of the 



728 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1858.— Sept. 

large hall on the right, on entering, is the statue of the late 
Edward Baines, Esq. The whole of the coloured decorations 
in the large hall and vestibule were executed by John Grace, 
of London, at a cost of £1,600. At each side of the large 
hall there are refreshment rooms, dressing rooms, retiring 
rooms, (fee. The kitchen establishment connected with this 
portion of the building, is on the basement floor. There are 
also on the ground floor three Law Courts, and a Council 
Room, for the meetings of the corporation. The two Law 
Courts at the north end of the building, are each 55 feet 
long by 47 feet wide, and 45 feet in height. The Borough 
Court and Council Iloom are at the south end ; the former 
being 55 feet long by 40 feet wide, and 40 feet high. These 
four apartments, situated at the four corners of the building, 
are of considerable architectural beauty, and are worthy 
neighbours to the grand hall. The rest of the ground floor 
is devoted to the town clerk's offices, borough surveyor's 
offices, rate office, judges', barristers', magistrates', jury, 
and waiting rooms ; the whole being connected by a corridor, 
10 feet in width, which rans entirely round the large hall, 
connecting the diff"erent entrances and vestibules together. 
The first or chamber floor is approached by four stone stair- 
cases, and contains the West-Riding magistrates' court, the 
mayor's reception rooms, and borough treasurer's offices. 
There is a large space all round the building, and the front, 
or south side, forms a good-sized square, in the centre of 
which stands a bronze statue, on a polished granite pedestal, 
of the Duke of Wellington, by the Baron Marochetti. 
Equi -distant from the statue are placed two handsome lamps, 
enclosed within a circle. The total cost of the building, in- 
cluding the interior fittings and decorations, and the organ, 
with the land, has been more than £100,000, raised by rates 
levied upon the inhabitants. 

Sept. 8th to 13th, Besides the visit of her Majesty to 
Leeds, and in addition to the Royal Liauguration of the 
Town-hall, our good old town was the scene of one of the 
most delightful musical festivals of this musical age. The 
principal vocalists and performers were : — 

Madani" Clxra Novello, Mrs. Sunderland, Madame Wei-ss^ Miss 
Helena Walker, and Mademoiselle Picjohmini — Sopranos. Miss 
Dolhy, Miss Palmer, Miss Crossland, Mi-s Freeman, and Madame 
Alboni — Contraltos. Mr. Sims Reeves, Mr. Wilbye Cooper, Mr. In- 
kersall, and Signer Giu^lini — Tenors. Mr. Weiss, Mr. Santley, Mr. 
Winn, Mr. HincMiffe, Siifnor Ro<si, and Si.o-nor Vialetti — Bassos. 

Instrumental Solo Performers— Miss Arabella Goddard, Mens. 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 729 

1S58.— Skpt. 

Sainton, Mr. H. Rlacrove, Mr. ^Vebb, Mr. C. Harper, ^Jr. T. TIarper, 
Mr. William^, Isir Waerziar. Mr. Lucivs, and Mr. Howell. Organ- 
ists — Mr Henry Smart, an(i Mr. Willi mi Spark. Choral Master — 
Mr R. S. ijurton. Coniucior — Professor W. iSternd.ile Bennett, 
Mils Doc , Canterbury. 

Orchestra — The baiul comprised the most celebrnted per- 
formers of the metropolis, with Vv-hom. were associated a few- 
local artists, who haA^e gained rej^ute iu the West-Ridii^g. 
Chorus — The chorus was formed by carefulh' selecting the 
best A'oices from Leeds, Bradford, Halifax, Hiuldersfield, 
Sheffield, Keighley, Dewsbiiry, Barjjsley, Miriield, and other 
to\^-iiS. The performances commenced on Wednesday- morn- 
ing, Sept, Stli, with jNIendelssohn's grand Oratoria of Elijah. 
The first of the miscellaneous concerts took place in the 
evening, and o]>ened with Mozart's symphony in C major. 
The great norclty of the evening was Professor Bennett's 
Pastoral (M.S.) " The May Queen," composed expressly for 
the festival, and the first tim.e of its performance. On 
Thursday morning, Sept. 9th, the performance comprised 
Rossini's " Stabat Mater" ; selections from Bach's " Grosse 
Passions — Musik"; and Beethoven's Sacred Cantata "The 
Mount of Olives. " The evening's concert was a raiscellaneous 
one, and was the only performance of the festival in which 
both Alboni and Piccolomini, and both Villetti and Rossi 
were to be heard. The Friday morning's performance (the 
10th) commenced with the first two parts of Haydn's Ora- 
torio "The Seasons "and concluded with Handel's sacred 
Oratorio " Israel in Egypt. " The evening's performance was 
miscellaneous, and commenced with Beethoven's grand sym- 
phony in C minor. Tlie Messiah was performed on Saturday 
morning, the 11th, and concluded the festival proper. On 
the Saturday evening a cheap concert was given, Avhich passed 
off with great (?clat. The number of persons present at this 
last concert was about 4,000. On Monday night, Sept. 13th, 
the festivities were brought to a close by a grand ball in the 
Towji-hall, The band in attendance was that of Mr. Laurent, 
of London. The total receipts of the festival and ball was 
about £8,000 ; the disbursements £6,000 ; the surplus £2,000 
was given in aid of the funds of the Leeds General Infirmary. 

]3tb. Died, in his 80th year, the Rev. Walter Scott, the 
late principal of Airedale college, who almost entirely by 
self culture, attained great theological reputation, 

13th. A di^eadful panic seized the audience at the Surry 
Music-hall, Sheffield, during the singing of Madame Marietta, 
supposed to have been caused by some one in the gallery 



730 ANNALS OP LEEDS, YORK, AND 
1858.— Sept. 

firing a pistol. In the attempt te escape from tbe building 
five persons were crushed or trampled to death, and a many- 
others seriously injured. 22nd. The British Association 

for the advancement of science, commenced its twenty-eighth 
annual meeting at the Leeds Town-hall, under the presidency 
of Professor Owen, and concluded on the 29th. 

29th. A soiree of the Leeds Mechanics' Institute was held 
at the To'.vn-liall, the chair being occupied by Lord Goderich. 
Addresses were delivered by the Earl of Carlisle, Sir R. L. 
Murchison, Professor Ovs^en, the Rev. Dr. Booth, and 

others. 30tli. The Leeds town council voted the sum 

of £20,000 for finishing and furnishing the ToAvn-hall. This 
vote made the total amount expended or granted up to this 
time £102,089. 

Oct. 7th. Sally Hare, aged 18, domestic servant to Mr. 
Cuthberts, of St. John's, near Rotherham, was murdered 
by her sweetheart, John Taylor Whitworth, who was tried 
at York on the 20th of December ; found guilty of wilful 
murder, and was executed on Saturday the 8th of January, 

1859. Dr. Donatti, of Florence, discovered on the 2nd 

of June, a small nebulous star which he soon determined to 
be a comet. From about the middle of September to the 
lOtli of October, it was a brilliant object in the North-west, 
and proved indeed to be the most wonderful celestial visitor 
of modern times. On the 10th of October it was within fifty 
one million miles from the earth. It was completely a new 
visitor to the solar system, and according to the calculations 
of a Prussian astronomer, will not return until the lapse of 
2,101i- years, that is to say in the year 3,980 of our era. 
On the 5th of Oct. the brilliant star Arcturius shone brightly 
through ths filmy mist of the comets' tail, and produced the 

appearance of a double comet. 12th. About 3,000 

colliers in the neighbourhood of Leeds struck work, in con- 
sequence of a proposed reduction by the masters of 15 per 
cent from their wages. The strike did not terminate until 
December, when the men submitted to a reduction of 7-2; 
per cent. 

LEEDS MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS, Noa'ember 1st, 1858. 
Those in brackets were elected. 
MiLL-HiLL, [Anthony Titlev, L, 309, O. Nussey, L, 298.] W. 

St. J. Wheel hou.ve, C, 260, Henry Dufton, C, 23/. Wbst, [G. 

Brook, L, James Watson, L] North- Wkst, [Joseph Morton 

Barret, L] Notitf^, [Wm Thomas Bolland, C] North- 

East, [Wm. Longley, C, 449,] Thomas Cornoek, L, 432. East, 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 731 

1858— Nov. 

[Thomas Bramfit, L, 639,1 S. Idle, C, 47'5. Kirkoatr, [Wm. 

Wray, C, 216,] G. A. Linsley, L, 192 — South, [W. Kirk, L, 

132,] R. Gardner, L, 58. Hunslet, [Benjamin Idle, C. 

HoLBECK, [Jaseph Shackleton, L, 1,439, Benjamin WooUey, L, 

1,312,] Thomas Sheldon, L, 952. Brami.ky, [Matthew Moss, 

L, Samuel Muisgrave, L] Headingley, [William Pollard, C, 

143,] Ben Cariss, C, 50. 

Sir Peter Fairbairn, was re-elected mayor. 

Kov. 1st. The town of Bradford was this day thrown 
into a state of great excitement, by the discovery that 
several persons had died, and a great number of others were 
ill from tlie effects of eating pepjiermint lozenges, which had 
been sold in the market by a person named William Harda- 
ker. It appeared that Hardaker had purchased the lozenges 
from Joseph Neal, a wholesale confectioner in Stone-street. 
Mr. Neal in the manufacture of lozenges was in the habit 
of mixing with the sugar a quantity of what is called "daft" 
in chemical language it would be called sulphate of lime, 
apd is popularly known as x^laster of Paris, or gypsum. 
Mr. Neal sent to the shop of Mr. Hodgson, druggist, of 
Shipley, for some "daft." Mr. Hodgson was ill, and a 
young man in his employ named William Goddard, not 
knov.'ing w^here to tind the article made enquiry of his 
master, who tlirected him to a cask in one corner of the 
cellar. The young man went into the cellar, and by mistake, 
instead of supplying the applicant with 121bs of "daft," 
gave him 121b.s of arsenic. Unfortunately the 121bs of arsenic 
was mixed with 401bs of sugar, and 41bs of gum into lozen- 
ges. 401bs of the lozenges were sold to Hardaker, who sold 
Bibs retail in the Bradford market the same night. Each 
lozenge it is supposed would contain 9^ grains of arsenic, 
and as 4^ grains are considered to be a poisonous dose, each 
lozenge was sufficient to poison two persons. As the lozenge 
weighed at the rate of 16 to the ounce, there w"as sufficient 
-poison distributed in the shape of lozenges by Hardaker, as 
would kill nearly 2,000 persons, reckoning 12 ounces to the 
pound. The consequences therefore might have been more 
fearful, as it was however, the poisoning proved fatal to 
seventeen persons, and caused about 200 others to be ill. 
Hodgson, Goddard, and Neale, were taken into custody and 
committed on a charge of manslaughter. The prosecution 
w-as subsequently withdrawn as against Goddard and ISTeale, 
and on Hodgson being tried on the 21st of December, at 
York, he was acquitted, 

17th, Died in his 88th year, at Newtown, Montgomery- 



732 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK AND 

1858.~Drc. 

sliire, Mr. Robert Owen, the founder of tliat sj'stem of 

political etliics called " socialism," and which in latter 

years assuriied tlie name of its originator, and v/as known as 

'' Owen ism." 

Dec. 23rd. A public meefcing took place at the Leeds 
Town-hall in favour of Parliamentary lleform, under the 
presidency of the mayor, Sir Peter Fairbairn. Mr. Edward 
Baines, Mr. W. Brown, Mr. Carter, and others took 
part in the proceedings. During the year 1858 a for- 
midable disease called "diptheria," a swelling of the throat, 
raa.de its appearance, and its career in many parts of the 
country was marked by a melanclioi}'^ increase in the number 
of deaths. 

1859. Jan. 1st. At a meeting of the Leeds town council 
it was resolved to grant a retiring pension of £100 per annum 
to Mr. Edward Reid, chief constable, length of service and 
increasing age having rendered hiai unable to discharge the 
ditties with that efhciency wliich so important an office re- 
quired. Previous to Mr, Read's ajjpointment as chief con- 
stable of Leeds he was a police-officer at the Hatten Garden 
}>(~)lice-office, where his father was the chief of the force. 
He was elected from among a large number of competitors, 
on the 1st of Jauua,ry, 1823, and continued in office until 
the old corporation was superseded. On the new corporation 
coming into office Mr. Heywood Avas appointed chief con- 
stable, and for seventeen months Mr. Read did not fill, the 
situation. On the 1st of December, 1837, however, he was 
re-appointed. 7th. A jury was summoned before Wil- 
liam Gr;iy, Esq., sitting for the High Sheriff of Yorkshire, 
in the Magistrates' Court, at York Castle, to hear evidence 
in the case of j^ewton v. Terrj', an action for assault. Mr, 
David Newton, of Leeds, a wool merchant, and a well 
known liberal member * of the Leeds town ctmncil was the 
plaintifi". Mr. Henry Terry, watch makei', Briggate, Leeds, 
was the defendant. The assault took place on the evening 
of Thursday the 7th of Oct., at the Central Market Hotel, 
Duncan- street, Leeds. A writ was issued from tJie Court 
of Exchequer on the 14-th of October, and the defendant al- 
] owed j udgment to go by default. The j ury was conseKpiently 
only required to assess the damages (the assault being ad- 
mitted) ; after hearing evidence as to the nature of the 
assault, and the circumstances under which it took place, 
the jury assessed the damages at £10. 

26th. Died, aged 48, Mr. T. B. Tliompson, the celebrated 
temperance advocate. A number of the members of the 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 733 

1839. — Jan. 

Leeds Temperance Society have by subscriptiou recently 
erected to bis memory a monument in Woodliouse ceme- 
tery. The design is of the decorative gothic style of 
arcxiitectnre ; the plan at the base is square and rises six 
feet, from which springs an octagonal colnmn, with an en- 
riched capital and a carved terminal. The total height is 
16 feet. It bears the following inscription : — 

" In memory of T B. Thompson, who departed this hfe Jan. SOtb, 
1659, a^^ed 48 years. Having been fifteen years Agent of the British 
Tempera nct^ League, th\>* monument was erected by a lew friends in 
memory of one of the mast able and consistent advocates of the tem- 
perance moven-sent." 

17th. The Leeds Rational Recreation Society was this day 

dissolved. 28th. Died, the Right Hon. 'the Earl of 

Ripon, at his seat at Putney Heath, Surrey. The deceased, 
Frederick John Robinson, Avas at Ids death in the seventy- 
seventh year of his age, having been Iwrn in 1782, He waa 
educated at Harrow school, and St. John's, Cambridge, 
Avhere he obtained Sir W. Browne's medal for the best liatin 
ode in 1801, and graduated M.A. in 1802. He was private 
secretary to the Lord- Lieutenant of Ireland from 1804 to 
1806, and accompanied Lord Pembroke's mission to Vienna 
in 1807. In 1806 and 1807 he represented Carlow in Parliar- 
ment, but from 1807 till 1827 he sat for Ripon. He haA 
held the gi'eat offices in the state of President of the Board of 
Conti-ol, Lord Privy Seal, Secretary of State for the ColonieB, 
President of the Board of Trade, Chancellor of the Ex- 
chequer, and First Lord of the Treasury. He was created 
D.C.L. at Oxford in 1839. His political principles were 
conservative. The deceased Earl was the second son of the 
second Lord Grantham, by the second daughter of the second 
Earl of Hardwicke, and was heir-presumptive to the Earl de 
Grey. He is succeeded by his son Viscount Goderich, M.P. 
for the West- Riding. 

On Tuesday the 25th of January, the hundredth amii- 
versary of the birth of Robert Burns, the universally 
known and admired Scotch poet, was celebrated in a very 
marked manner in most of the chief cities and towns in 
England and Scotland. 

Feb. 3rd. G. S. Beecroft, Esq., M.P. for Leeds, had the 
lionour of seconding the address in reply to the royal speech. 

]8th. Mr. Stephen English, chief constable of jSTorwich, 
Avas elected chief constable for the borough of Leeds, hi the 

place of Mr. Read. 19th. The Earl of Derby conferred 

62 



734 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1869.— Feb. 

lipon the Rev. Dr. Hook, vicar of Leeds, the deanery of 

Chichester. He was installed on the 19th of March. 

^ 21st. West-Riding Election. — The election of a member 

of parliament for the West-Riding, in the place of the Earl 

qf Ripon (Lord Goderich), who had been elevated to the 

peerage, took place at Wakefield. Sir J. W. Ramsden, 

liberal, of Byram-hall, near Pontefract, and recently M.P. 

for Hythe, was returned without opposition. 

•' March 9th. The Leeds to-^Ti council adopted a petition to 

parliament against the Reform Bill, introduced by the Derby 

government. 18th. A public meeting was held in the 

Leeds Town-hall, Sir Peter Fairbairn, mayor, in the chair, 
when a resolution was passed against the government reform 

April 1st. The Derby government was defeated by 330 to 
291 on the second reading of the reform bill, after a severe 
night's debate. In consequence of which. Lord Derby ap- 
pealed to the country, and a general election ensued. 
, Guardians of the Poor for the township of Leeds, elected 
April 5th, 1859 :— 

Those in brackets were elected. 

East, [.lolin Thompson, 28.^, Joseph Lobley, 283,] John Lassey, 

186, Joseph Sugden, 181. Kirkgate, [Dennis Topham Moss, 

•S22, James Stables, 21/,] William Wraj-, 215, Henry Barker, 215. 
!The election of Mr. Stables was ;ifter\varcls declared to be void, in 
Consequence of the discovery of forged votintj papers, and Mr. 

Barker was declared elected. Mill-Hti t., [Henry Duf'ton, 5/2, 

Charles Peglar, 544, William Clarke, 536,] Frederick Jackson, 

436, Ja«eph Hirst, 419, Jaine-i Smith, 39/ -NornH, [Jo.seph 

Vever.*', 352, Nathaniel Sharpe, 339,] Mark Eiehardson, .323, 

Samuel Myers, 311. Nor ih- HL.^sr, [Samuel l.awson, 391, John 

'Trumble,357,] Wm. Middleton, 346, Jo.se"ph Gilpin, 341. Nor rH- 

"Wkst, [Henry Bailey Legtr, 441, Thomas Parker, 432,] John 

Daniel, 333, Thomas Headland, 326. South [Jchn Kirk, 22/, 

Harsreaves Hudson, 204,1 Richd. Bywater, 129 Wrst, [Thomas 

Heaps, 823, James Watson, 799, Thomas Tilney, 792,] Riohard 
.Wm. Moore, 714, John W^oodhead, 713, David Lindsay, 691. Henry 
Bailey Legg was elected chairman. 

12th. A meeting of the liberal electors of Leeds was held 
at the Town-hall, when it was decided to bring out Edward 
Baiues, Esq., and W. E. Forster, Esq. The Right Hon. 
M. T. Baines had decided to retire from parliamentary life, 
on account of ill health. [The Hon. Gentleman died on Ja,n. 
23rd in the following year, aged 60, to the great regret of all 
'parties of his fellow-townsmen. ] — 18th. A meeting of the 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 73^ 

1859.— April. 

conservative electors was held in the Town-liall, to hear ah 
addi-ess from George Skirrow Beecroft, Esq., who offered 
himself for re-election ; when a resolution was adoptei^ 
pledging him support at the forthcoming election. * 

29th. Leeds Election. — The nomination took place oil 
Woodliouse moor. The weather was very inclement, and the 
rain fell during nearly the whole of the proceedings. Mr. 
C. Bousfield proposed, and Mr. J. D. Holdforth, seconded 
the nomination of Mr. Beecroft. Mr. T. W. George pro- 
posed, and Mr. Joseph Clifi' seconded Mr. E. Baines. Mi*. 
Joseph Lupton proposed, and Mr. John Jowitt seconded Mr, 
Forster. Mr. W. Miller proposed, and Mr. Jas. Dawson 
seconded Mr. John Shaw. After the several candidates had 
addressed the assembly, tlie mayor Sir Peter Fairbairn calle'd 
for a show of hands, whicli he declared to be in favour of 
Mr. Baines and Mr. Beecroft : a decision which was thought 
by some of the liberal party to have been given erroneously 
against Mr. Forster, and which in consequence subjected the 
mayor to some annoyance as he left the moor. A j)oll was 
demanded on behalf of Mr. Forster, Avhich took j)lace on the 
following day. At its close the mayor proceeded to Wood- 
house moor, where about 20,000 persons had congregated, 
and his worship announced that Mr. Baines and Mr. Bee- 
croft were elected. The result of the poll being : — 

Mr. Baines (L) 2,343. 

Mr. Beecroft (C) 2,302. 

Mr. Forster (L) 2,280. 

Plumpers, Beecroft 1,977, Forster 108, Baines 66. Splits, 
Beecroft and Baines 215, Beecroft and Forster 110, Baines 
and Forster 2,062. 

May 10th. The nomination of candidates for the West- 
Riding took place at Wakeiield on the 7th of May. Mr. J. 
W. Childers proposed, and Mr. Darnton Lupton seconded 
Sir John Ramsden. Sir Charles Wood proposed, and Mr. 
T. Dunn seconded Mr. Frank Crossley. The Hon. E. La«- 
celles proposed, and Mr. J, Brooke seconded Mr. J. S. 
Wortley, The show of hands was in favour of Sir John 
Ramsden and Mr. Crossley. * A poll was demanded on be- 
half of Mr, Wortley, which took place on the 10th, the 
result being as follows : — 

Ramsden (L) 15,078. 

Crostiky , (L) 15,401. 

Wortley (C) 13,636. 

Bradford Election.— [Mr. Wickham, C, 2,070, Mr. Salt, 



736 ANNALS OP LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1859— May. 

L, 1727,] Mr. Harris, C, 1,229. Huddersfield.— [Mr. 

Leatham, L, 779,] Mr. Akroyd, L, 760. Wakefield.— 

[Mr. Leatham, L, 406,] Mr. Charlesworth, C, 403. A com- 
mission of inquiry subsequent!}'- sat with respect to this 
election, when a most disgraceful system of bribery was dis- 
closed, which had been practised by both parties, 

14th. Mr, Joseph Sturge, who was a candidate for the 
representation of Leeds, at the election in 1848, died suddenly 
at his residence at Edgbaston, Birmingham. 

18th. Considerable excitement was caused in the village of 
Harewood, near Leeds, by the discovery of the dead body 
of a female infant in the stream flowing through the woods 
leading from Alwoodley-Gates to the Stank, and still further 
excitement was occasioned on its being known that Sarah 
Barrett, (daughter of Mr. Steplien Barrett, a respectable 
farmer at Weardley,) a young person about 25 years of age, 
had been apprehended on suspicion of having murdered the 
child, which M^as an illegitimate one, to which she had given 
birth at Leeds a few days before. She was committed to 
York on a charge of wilful murder, ai)d was tried on the 
19th of July, when the jurj'- returned a verdict of not guilty. 

25th. Thomas Smith, a pointsman at the Whitehall Junc- 
tion of the Midland Railway, underwent an examination at 
the Leeds Town-hall, on a charge of having murdered the 
illegitimate infant male child (of which he was the father) of 
Helena Moxon, a widow, residing in Appleyard-court, 
School-close. Smith obtained the child from the mother 
under the pretence that he was going to put it out to nurse 
at Beeston, What he did with it still remains a mystery, 
as he obstinately refused to tell of its whereabouts, there- 
fore the charge of murder could not be made out, but he was 
subsequently committed to prison for stealing the mother's 
clothes, in which he had wrapped the baby. 

27th. G. S. Beecroft, Esq., M,P., was entertained at a 
banquet in the Victoria-hall, Town-hall, Leeds, in com- 
memoration of his being returned a second time as one of the 
parliamentary representatives of the borough. The pro- 
ceedings were of a most animated and enthusiastic character, 
and the reception given to the honourable member will long 
be remembered for its spontaneous cordiality and heartiness. 
As a demonstration of the strength of the conservative prin- 
ciples in Leeds, the banquet was eminently successful, being 
very numerously and influentially attended. Upwards of 750 
gentlemen were present. Charles Bousfield, Esq., the chair- 
man of Mr. Beecroft's election committee, presided. 

28tli. Mr. George Terry, of W^oodliouse-lane, Leeds, the 




-' I' bL Is H F D BY JOS £ P H J H N SON, 1. L L D $ 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 737 

1859.— Junk. 

Grand Master of the Grand United Order of Oddfellows, 
and the treasurer of the Oddfellows Loan Society, Leeds, 
absconded, having preAwasly defrauded the two societies of 
Tarious sums of money, amounting altogether to about 
£4,000. 

June 3rd. A number of gentlemen met at the Queen's 
Head Inn, Mill-hill, Leeds, for the purpose of presenting a 
testimonial to Mr. F. W. Grauhan, recently superintendent 
of the Leeds police force, on his retirement from that office, 
as an ackncwledgment of their appreciation of his services 
to the town. The testimonial consisted of a handsome silver 
tea service and a purse containing hf ty guineas. The teapot 
bore the following inscription : — 

" Pre.seiiteil, with a purse oftifty ijuineas, to 3". W. Giauh;in, on his 
reriririi: iroiii the olhce of supeiintendeiit of the police of the borough 
oI'LpfLis, l:y a lew fri'MiJ.s, a,s an acknovvledjiine.it of his efficient ainl 
couiteuus Conduct during the nine ytvu.s he held the s.iiu office. 
Leeds, June 3i<] '' 

Mr. Grauhan was subsequently elected chief constable of 

Bradford. 10th. The Derby government was defeated 

by 323 to 310, on an amendment to the address from the 
throne, which vote caused them to resign. Lord Palmer- 

stou formed a ministry. 13th. A meeting was field at 

the Town- hall, when it was determined to form a Leeds 
Volunteer Rifle Corps. 

23rd. Crimean Monument. — The monument raised by 
public subscription as a memorial to the natives of Leeds 
who fell in the Crimean War from 1854 to 1856, was erected 
in the Leeds parish church. It is placed at the north-west 
entrance, in the place until recently occupied by the statue 
of the late M. T. Sadler, Esq. , which has been removed to 
the opposite side. 

The monument i.s a work of great power and beauty, consisting of a 
colossal group of victory cro.vning a (lying soldier. The soldier is rep- 
resented clothed in the British unitbrni, he is leaning on his hand in 
the ajrojiy of death; the countenanct' is finely executed, and in its 
softly-chiselie 1 linos the combinati(;ji of pain, fortitude, and chn'stiin 
resignation i-; well r(>presented. The accessories >cattereJ about the 
fie d compiefe the story, while the pyiidical contour of the whole com- 
position naturally carries up the eye until it rests upon the crowning 
figure which is winged and draped. The pedestal or base forms xhp 
memorial; it is of cha.-ed gothic desii^n, and consists of flanking pe- 
destals with a base mouldiui; and upper foliated cornice, the latter in 
bold relief: with carved vaulting ojj the pedestals are palms wreathed 
with ribbons, inscribe^] with the names of the Crin)ean victories. The 
whole forms a panel enclosing a .slab of pure white marble, bearing 
the names of the fallen heroes whase deeds the monument is erected 



/OO ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK AND 

1859.— June. 

to commemorate. With the exception of the tablet the work is ex- 
ecuted in Caen .stone. The monument is of the style of the 13th 
Cfcntury. It exhibits many pleasing and artistic adaptions of the 
peculiarities of that style. The whole compo-sition is supported upon 
two carved brackets of elaborate design. The base consi.sts of a 
moulded plinth with a quartjefoil .string above. The centre consists 
of a trefoi! arch foliated ; on each side are double recessed niches with 
ogee canopies and foliated terminals. The canopy is gabled, the 
gafbling heing pierced and crocketed. The b:uses of the gables ter- 
minate in emblematic figures of pelicans, each >ide niche is occupied 
by a stalue — that on the right Faith ; and im the left Hope '!he 
centre of the tiblet arch is flanked on either si'le with slender col umn.s 
of Italian marble The capitals of these columns are of stone, carved 
to represent the one an open, and the other a closed fuichia. 1 his 
carvmg is of the most exquisite delicacy. Considering t)ie material 
the under-cutting and piercing is marvellous, and this characteuzes 
th^ whole of the carving throughout this beautiful native work of art. 
♦ Surmounting the capitals are two angels with closed wings, in an atti- 
tude of devotion. The large sunk member of the arch is filled with 
carvings of poppy buds and leaves, emblematic of sleep, and disposed 
in a manner very similar to the well known ball ornament of this 
period of architecture. Above the arch rises a gable, crocketed, with 
a sunk panel richly damasked. Standing on the pedestal over the 
centre tablet arch, and occupying the gable, is the full length figure of 
an angel, the left hand bearing a celestial crown, and the right point- 
ing upwards. The ball ornament also occupies the recessed portion 
of, the moulding: of the gable. The gable has a terminal of ivy leases, 
<vhich indeed are used in profusion throughout the com[!Osition, and 
with their tendrils are thrown into the various necessary arcliitectural 
forms of crockets, running moulds, and finials. The height of the 
monument is fourteen feet, and it ha'^ taken about fifteen tons of 
material for its construction, and has been (.lesignsd and executed by 
our townsmen, Messrs. Dennis Lee and Welsh, Woodhouse-lane. 
The whole composition is of the most exquisite beauty, and evinces 
not only high artistic taste, but also much skill of adaption in the ac- 
cessories of the d'^siu'n The carving is as delicate ay though it had 
emanated from fairy fingers, exhibiting the highest excellence ever 
seen in this di-trict. 

About the same time was erected in the anti-chapel of 
the parish church, a beautiful medallion in white marble, by 
Spencer, of Rome, from a cast in bas-relief by Angus 
Fletcher, Esq. , and bears the following inscription : — 

" In memorj^ of James Marshall, Lieutenant 68th Light Infantry, 

second son of Thomas Horncastle Marshall, Esq., Judge of the 

county courts of this district. Be fell at the siege of Sevastopol on 

the 8th of June, 1855, iu the 20th year of his age." 

. The medallion is surrounded with a beautiful scroll of 



THE SURROrrNT)lXCT DISTRICT. 739 

1859— June. 

-flowers in mosaic work, in wliicli is interwoven tlie words 
"Alma," "Inkerman," "Sevastopol," "Crimea." 

27th. The Leeds new Grammar School, situate on the 
north east side of Woodliouse moor, was inaugurated this day. 
The foundation stone of the school was laid on the 6th of 
April, 1858, by the Lord Bishop of Ripon. The building 
consists of two large school rooms, with class room and 
library, and a residence for the head-master, ^rith accommo- 
dation for boarders. The style of architecture employed by 
the architect (E. M. Barrj', Esq., of Westminster) is gothic, 
of the decorated period, and the structure is faced through- 
out with stone. The windows are deeply recessed, with rich 
mouldings, including sliafts and carved capitals ; and the 
entrance doorway presents an elaborate appearance, being 
ornamented with polished red granite columns, and having 
carved over it, in ornamental characters, the text, " I*^isi 
Dominus redlftcaverit domum in vanum laboraverunt qui 
jedificant eani." All xhe roofs are of the steep pitch com- 
monly seen in Gothic buildings of the best period, and at 
the point of intersection of the main roof with that over 
the library rises a lofty veiiLilariug turret or lantern. The 
master's house is at the western end of the building. The 
• building resembles in shape a Latin cross, the lower or longer 
arm containing the school-rooms, one over the other. These 
are fine lofty rooms and measure 95 feet loi;g by 28 feet 
wide, and 85 feet long by -8 feet -wide. At the point 
where the four arms of the cross lueet is the staircase for 
the boys, which is entirely of :>tone, with flights five 
feet wide. There are no windows, and the landings are 
supported on iron beams. Tlie right hand arm of the 
cross contains on the ground floor tvro cloak rooms, and 
over them a class room and the libn^ry, each 24 feet long by 
22 feet wide. The left hand r.rin is jecipied by the study 
and dormitories, each 22 feet square, for the head master's 
pupils. The upper arm of the cross is devoted to the liead- 
master's residence, which contains drawing and dining rooms, 
with a study, and the other apartments requisite in a gentle- 
man's house. The schools are warmed by hot water pipes, 
supplied from an apparatus placed in the* basement. The 
roof of the Tipper school is of open timber, stained and var- 
nished, and the whole building is most substantially con- 
structed, , the floors being supported on wrought-iroii beams. 

20th. Banquet and testiiioxials to Dr. Hook. — The 
elevation of the Rev. Dr. Hook to the Deanery of Chichester, 
and his consequent removal from Leeds, excited amongst his 



.740 ANXALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

18D9 — June. 

parisliiouers generally a feeling of very sincere regret, at the 
same time that it elicited expressions of congratulation and 
esteem, which evinced in a high degree the pleasure of the 
inhabitants at the reward which had been justly bestowed 
upon him, after a life of earnest and devoted labour as the 
vicar fortwenty two years, of this large and important parish. 
This manifestation of affectionate esteem and gratitude found 
expression in a variety of forms. The various bodies with 
which the Rev. Gentleman was associated, recorded their 
sense of his services in term,^ of the most gratifying charac- 
ter. In some instances the bare record of those services was 
deemed sufficient, but in others, and especially with regard 
to the general testimonial, it was felt desirable that the sense 
of obligation should be manifested in a more public manner, 
prior to Dr. Hook's removal to his new sphere of labour. 
In accordance with this desire Dr. Hook and Mrs. Hook 
were on the 29th of June, entertained at a public banquet 
in the Victoria-hall, and were received with great enthusiasm 
by not less than 400 persons, including the principal families 
of the neighbourhood. The entertainment (which was pro- 
vided by Mr. Fleischmann, of the Scarbro' Hotel) was in 
every respect worthy of the occasion, and the event will long 
be remembered as one of the most pleasing episodes in the 
lives of all who liad the pleasure of being present. After 
dinner, and the usual loyal toasts, the mayor proceeded 
•\vith the presentations. A deputation from the committee 
appointed at the public meeting on the 20th of April, con- 
sisting of W. B. Denison, Esq., Wm. Gott, Esq., John 
Botterill, Esq., G. B. Nelson, Esq., A. Horsfall, Esq., E. 
Bond, Esq., J. M. Tennant, Esq., and S. Smith, Esq., 
came forward and handed to the mayor the public testimonial, 
which consisted of a cheque for 2,000 guineas, and an address, 
which were enclosed in an elegant cotter or casket, of Coro- 
mandel wood, elaborately ornamented with rich gold, en- 
graved and foliated, cinque-cento ornaments. On the front 
of the casket was a view of the parisli church, in gilt relief, 
and the lid bore the following inscription : — 

" Presented, wiih 2,000 guineas, to the Very Rev. Walter Farquhar 
Hook, D D., Dean of Chichester, and Vicar of Lpeds, St. Pett?r's 
Day, xMDCCCLlX." 

The address, which had been beautifully v.'ritten and illu- 
minated by Mr. H. Salt, of the herald's office, Lincoln's 
Inn, and gorgeously bound in crimson velvet, with gilt rims 
and monogram, was read by the Rev. A. Barry. It was 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 741 

1859.— June. 

signed by the Mayor, as cliairraan, for and on behalf of the 
meeting. A deputation from the Manchester Unity of the 
Independent Order of Odd-fellows, in the Leeds district, 
was next introduced, and Mr. William Longley, P.G., pre- 
sented the testimonial subscribed for by the members of the 
Order in Leeds, (as well as an address,) consisting of a 
chaste and elegant silver centre- piece. The base, which 
rested on a plateau of burnislied silver, with rock border, 
was triangular, and supported figures of Faith, Hope, and 
Charity, in frosted silver. The figures were grouped round 
an oak tree, rising from the centre, Avith branches, leaves, 
and acorns, aad bearing upon the foliage a pierced silver 
basket, with large cut-glass dish. It was inscribed as 
follows : — 

''Presented to tlie Terr Rev. W. F. Hook, D D., Dean of Chichester > 
by the members of the Leeds District of Independent Order of Odd- 
felIo".vs, Manchester Unity, on the occasion of his leaving Leeds, as a 
small token of their love and e.steem, for the many kind and valuable 
services rendered by him to the Order duriijg hi.s residence amongst 
them as the vicar of that parish. — Leed.s, June 29, 1859." 

Addresses were also presented by the Leeds Sunday School 
Association, the Central Short Time Committee of the West- 
Riding, the Choristers of the Parish Church, and a testi- 
monial subscribed for by the members of the choir, which 
consisted of an exquisite white marble and gilt clock, with 
candelabra to match, bearing the following inscription : — 

"■ Presented to the Very Pev. Walter Faiquhar Hook, D.D., Dean 
of Chichester and Vicar of Leeds, by the Choristers of the Leeds 
Parish Church. St. Peters Day, MDCCCLIX." 

In addition to those testimonials some were privately pre- 
sented to Dr. Hook. Of these, a beautiful gilt timepiece, 
presented by Mr. and Zvlrs. Walker Joy, was exhibited in the 
hall. A gold casket, value 50 guineas, containing £270, was 
presented to Mrs. Hook, as a testimonial from the ladies of 
Leeds. The casket was of silver gilt, conventionally called 
gold, and might well be pronounced an artistic gem. On 
the lid was an exquisitely fine specimen of figure chasing, 
from one of Tenier's pictures. On the front, back, and each 
side were chased medallions, representing respectively the 
Car of Ph;eton, the Dying Gladiator, Hector after his com- 
bat with Achilles, and one of the Muses croANmed by the 
Graces. A malachite tablet adorned each corner, and a large 
turquoise the front. An elaborate border ran round the 
basement, broken by a bust with helmet at each corner ; the 



742 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1859— Junk. 

whole being supported on feet of elegant design and exqui- 
site workmanship. Inside the lid was the following inscrip- 
tion : — 

" This Casket, contaiiiing a purse of £2'Jd, is presented to Mns. 
Hoo'c, by tht Indies whose names are enclosed, as a tokeii of their per- 
sonal rejravd, and in affectionate acknowledornent of her inestimable 
services during her residence of 22 years in Leeds. — June 29tli, 1859." 

Before leaving Leeds the Dean of Chichester made 
the following benefactions to the town :— The sum of 
£400 to the Grammar School, the interest of which to be 
expended annually in a prize ; the sum of £100 to the 
National Schools, on condition that the debt remaining on 
the schools be discharged before the institution of his suc- 
cessor ; the sum of £50 to the churchwardens of the Parish 
Church, to be expended on improvements ; the sum of £50 
. to the Church Institute, to be expended on the library ; the 
sum of £50 to the Philosophical and Literary Society, to be 
expended on the museum ; and the sum of £50 to the 
Leeds Mechanics' Institute, to be distributed in five annual 
payments of £10 each for the best essay on some subject 
connected with the social advancement of the working 
classes, the subject to be chosen by the president, the vice- 
presidents, and the secretaries, and the prize to be adjudged 
by the Vicar of Leeds, the head master of the Grammar 
School, and the president for the time being of the institu- 
tion ; £50 to the Parish Church choir, and £20 to the 
Widow and Orphans' fund of the Leeds district, Manchester 
Unity. During the twenty-two years that Dr. Hook had 
been vicar of Leeds, there had been builfc in the parish no 
fewer than twenty-one out of thirty-six cliurches, at least 
thirty schools, and twenty-three out of twenty-nine par- 
sonage houses, at a cost of at least £150,000 ; and a great 
deal of this work must be attributed to the self-denying and 
persevering exertions of the vicar, and the passing of the 
' Leeds Vicarage Act,' which was promoted by him at a 
great sacrifice tj himself of income, patronage, and power. 
Jwlj IGth. At a meeting of the Leeds magistrates, 
Captain Y/edderburne, of Norwood, near London, late of 
the 53rd regiment, was elected governor of the Leeds 
borough gaol, in the place of Mr. Page, resigned. The 
salary of the governor of the gaol is £250 per annum, with 

a residence at the gaol, coal and gas found. 27th. The 

Very Pev. Dr. Henry David Erskine, Dean of Pvipon and 
Rector of Kirby-Underdale, in this county, died at the 
Deanery, Ripon, in the 73rd year of his age. The deceased, 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 743 

1859— Aro. 

who was the son of the great Lord Erskine, was appointed 
dean of Ripon in 1847. He had won golden opinions from 
all sorts and conditions of men, especially by the zeal and 
ability with which he advocated the cause of mechanics' 
institutes and other kindred institutions. 

About five o'clock on Saturday afternoon the 6th, of Aug. 
Mr. Richard Broughton, a respectable man, 67 years of age, 
wlio resided in Rose Cottage-yard, Roundhay, was barba- 
rously murdered in the fields kno\^Ti as the Ox Pasture, near 
Harehills-lane, Roundhay. The murderer knocked Mr. 
Broughton down with a bludgeon, and inflicted five wounds 
iipow his head — one of which fractured his skull. He then 
stole his German-silver watch, and made a precipitate re- 
treat. The blows rendered Broughton insensible for a short 
time, but he sufficiently recovered to be able to walk home. 
On arriving at home the unfortunate sufferer relapsed into 
insensibiiity, and died at twenty minutes to two o'clock on 
tTie following day. The only connected description that the 
deceased had ])een able to give was to the efiect "that he 
had been attacked by two men ; one went up the hill slowly 
before him, till he got to the top. Another man then met 
hira from another road, and one of them struck him over 
the head twice. They were dressed something like working 
men. He thought one of tliem had a jacket on," For 
some time after the murder it was thought that the perpe- 
trator or perpetrators of the crime would escape the hands 
of justice. At first a reward of £50, and afterwards £150, 
was ofiered for the appreh<msion and conviction of the 
mi'.rderer. Two persons, named Appleby and Beader, were 
arre-ted on suspicion, but were subsequently set at liberty. 
At length some important disclosures were made which led 
it) ilie apprehension of a young man, 19 years of age, named 
Charles Normington, on suspicion of being implicated in 
the crime. It appears that about eight o'clock on Saturday 
night, the 3rd September, a man named James Smales, a 
collier employed at one of the coal pits of Messrs. Briggs 
and vSon, of TVTiitwood, near Wakefield, went to the shop of 
Mr. Barrass, pawnbroker. Dyer-street, Leeds, and presented 
the pa-'.v-n-ticket for the watch belonging to the deceased, 
which was pledged there on the night of the murder. Mr. 
BaiTa«s immediately communicated witli the chief constable, 
who instituted further inquiries. It was clearly ascertained 
that Normington was in possession of the pawn-ticket a day 
or two after the murder, and the justices determined to offer 
a reward of £25 for his apprehension. On the following 



744 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1859.— Alio. 

Monday, Mr. Englisb proceeded to Sheffield, attired himself 
in the garb of a collier, and, after exercising considerable 
perse v^erance and iugeniiity, succeeded in apprehending the 
man lie was in search of, on the road to the Wicker, Sheffield. 
It appeared from the evidence that Normington offered the 
deceased's watch in pledge at Mr. Topham's, about an hour 
after the murder, and about 10 o'clock the same night he 
offered to sell a pawn-ticket for a watch (no doubt the same) 
to a man named Hoyland, who however refused to purchase 
it. On the following Monday the prisoner went to Whit- 
wood, and remained working at a colliery there until the 
Thursday afterwards, when lie left his lodgings without 
notice. While at Whitwood he sold the pawn-ticket to 
Smales, to whom he stated that the watch was his o^vn. Two 
or three witnesses spoke positively to seeing Normingto7i 
near the place where tlie murder was committed on t!ie 
Saturday afternoon. One witness stated that he had in 
his hand the hedgestake which was subsequently picked up 
in the Ox Pasture, and which there is no doubt had been 
\ised in the murderous attack upon poor Broughton. When 
apprehended Normington admitted to Mr. English tliat he 
was present when the murder was committed, but denied 
that he inflicted the fatal blows. On the 10th of September 
he was committed to York on a charge of wilful murder. 
He was tried on the 1.5th of December and found gviilty, 
and the terrible sentence of death was passed upon the 
prisoner. At its close he swooned away into the arms of 
the under-governor. When the judge put on the black cap, 
and again at the conclusion of the sentence, piercing shrieks 
rang through the court, proceeding from the prisoner's 
mother, who was sitting in one of the galleries. The un- 
happy youthful murderer was executed at noon on the 31st 
of December, after having made a full confession of his guilt, 
stating that he gave the deceased several blows with the 
bludgeon and felled liim to the ground, tluit the other man 
tore ox^en the deceased's waistcoat and kicked him whilst on 
the ground, and that he (TSTorraington) took his watch. 

17th. The patrons of the Leeds parish church filled up the 
vacancy in the vicarage of Leeds, occasioned by the promo- 
tion of the Very E-ev. Dr. Hook to the deanery of Chicliester. 
There were 38 candidates, and the Rev. James Atley, B.D., 
senior fellow and tutor of Saint John's College, Cambridge, 
was elected. He was inducted on Saturdaj^, the 10th of 
September, and preached his first sermon in the parish 
church the following day. 23rd to 26th. The third 



THE SURROUNDIXG DISTSICiT. 745 

IS 59— Sept. 

triencial Eraclford Musical Festival took place. A nevr 
work (a cantata), entitled "The Year," by Mi-. William 
Jackson, the able conductor of the Bradford Choral Society, 
^ras peiforuied Tvitb great success. 

Sept. 2ud. Tliis evening the Mayor of Leed^; (Sir Peter 
Fairbairn) entertained the Lord-Lie'itennn!: of the West- 
Riding (Earl Fitzwilliam), and a kr, ::,.',: if tlie prin- 
cipal gentry of the riding, to a sii:/ . i-rdet in the 
Victoria Hall. Amongst tho?e- v, ' 1 invitations 
were the n)ember:^ for the V^ - : . ' !> vnrious 
boroughs in the ritiicg, the ni; -. -r. ; >■ :..inghs. 
and the magistrates and tiie * / : righ of 
Leeds. Tlie object of the garLeri: : L'ie cards 
of invitation, was ''to meer tLi- riviiY 'f tho 

West-Riding." 9th. A^-.-r. i : k pL^ce on 

the Great Eai-vtern steanj shiv " -i trip, \>y wliich 

six persons were killed, niid V . , ^ : i]iv> Aes.-tl to the 

extent of £5,000. ^lOth. Tlie ai:;.ual gatlieiing of tlie 

Institution of Mechanical Engineers was lieJdat Leeds. 

21st. An exceUent full-length poi-trait of Mr. %\'. E. 
Hepper, the Leeds borough treas-irer, by Mr, WaliLV, was 
presented to the town hall committee bv tlie subscribers. 

28th. Mr. Joseph Redfearn, the cashier of the Leeds 
Banking Company, died suddenly i:ii a railway carriage, 
while travelling from London te L; eds. After his death a 
deficiency in his acconnts w;^;^ disC' vcrc-d t-^ tl^e evtert of 

:£9,0(i0. 

Oct. 5th. Henry Hall, Esq., ol B;.;.;v k c_-. Leeds, died 
on Wednesday, tiie 5th October, ui the f^rth yeiii- 'if liis age. 
He was a native of Leeds, and was the representative of the 
oldest Leeds family still resident in the tovrn. He was 
elected a member of the corporation on the 27t]i IMarch, 
1805, taking the rank of "Assistant," as the jnnior branch 
of the niunicii)al body was then cahed. <>n the 8th June, 
1811, he was made alderman ; and in the following year he 
took the office of Mayor, and again for tlie second time in 
1825. Mr. Hall was one of tiie aldermen in the reformed 
corporation, elected in December, 1835, but he only remained 
in that position three years. As an alderman of the old 
coi-poration he was a magistrate for the borough ; but, this 
function being sepai-ated from aldermanic dignity by the 
Municipal Reform Act, in the year 1842 lie was placed 
again on the Commission, and at the time of his death he 
was the oldest of our borough magistrates. He was one of 
the x)atrons of the Yicarage, and a trustee of tho Grammar 

63 



746 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1859.— Oct. 

School, as well as of other public institutions. He was 
treasurer of the Leeds Library forty years, and of the 
General Infirmary thirty-eight years, both unpaid but some- 
what onerous offices. The former he resigned in 1853, and 
the latter in 1854, on account of the increasing infirmities of 
age. Mr. Hall was a steady and consistent member of the 
Church of England. In politics his principles were strictly 
Conservative. He was interred in the same vault with his 
son, on the south-east side of Whitkirk church yard. 

6th. Harewood House, near Leeds, the seat of the 
Hight Hon. the Earl of Harewood, was the scene of 
very gratifying festivities, in commemoration of the 
marriage of the noble earl to the daughter of J. G. Smyth, 
Esq.. M.P., of Heath Hall, and of other recent auspicious 
evenfcs in the Harewood family. His lordship invited about 
600 persons to a ball, which was held in a spacious pavilion 
erected in the park, near to Harewood House. Amongst 
those who had the honour of receiving invitations were 
nearly the whole of the tenants on the noble lord's estates 
in the West and North Ridings, the clergy t)f Harewood and 
the vicinity, the principal residents in the neighbourhood, 
his lordship's tradesmen in Leeds, and the Harewood troop 
of the Yorkshire Hussars, who wore their uniform. 

13th. Died at his residence at Houndhay, near Leeds, aged 
67 years, Sir George Goodman, a magistrate for the borough 
and for the West-Riding, and formerly one of the parlia- 
mentary representatives for the borough. The worthy 
knight, for two years prior to his death, had sufiered from 
ill-health — paralysis, and neuralgia — brought on by his 
zealous and close attention to the new and arduous duties 
which were imposed Tipon him by being elected a member of 
the House of Commons in 1852. Sir George was four times 
elected to the highest civic office in the borough. He was 
the first Mayor under the Corporation Reform Act, being 
elected in January, 1836 ; and as a testimonial, of respect, 
as wt.ll as to commemorate the new era in municipal aftairs, 
a fall length portrait of him was subscribed for by his fellow- 
townsmen, and now adorns the council-room at the Town 
Hall. He was also elected Mayor on the resignation of C. 
G. Maclea, Esq., on the 3st of January, 1847. He went 
out of office on the 9tli of JSTovember following, but on the 
9th of November, 1850, he was again elected Mayor, and on 
the 9th of November, 1851, he was re-elected ; but on the 
20th of March, 1852, he resigned the office of Mayor in 
order that he might be eligible to be a candidate for the 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 747 

1^59.— Oct. 

representation of the borough in parliament in the spring of 
1852. In 1851 Mr. Goodman might be considered as the 
civic representative of Leeds at the Great Industrial Ex- 
hibition in London, in reference to which her Majesty con- 
ferred the honour of knighthood upon him in the spring of 
1852. In July of the latter year, at the general election. 
Sir George Goodman was elected, along with the Hon. M. 
T. Baines, as one of the members for this borough, which he 
continued to rej^resent till the dissolution in 1857, when he 
retired on account of ill-health. In politics, Sir George was 
a liberal ; in religion, a baptist ; in trade, a wool-stapler at 
Leeds and Bradford ; and both in his public and private 
capacity he was greatly respected. He was especially dis- 
tinguished for kindness of manner and an open-hearted dis- 
position, which won for him the affection and esteem of all 

classes of his fellow-townsmen. 21st. The Mayor of 

Leeds, Sir Peter Fairbairn, was entertained at a sumptuous 
banquet bv the magistrates and corporation of the borough, 
in the CivH Court of the Town Hall. 24th. A full- 
length portrait of William Beckett, Esq. , head of the firm 
of Messrs. Beckett and Co. , bankers, Leeds, raised by public 
subscription, as an acknowledgment, by his fellow- townsmen, 
of the valuable services which he had rendered to the borough 
for a long series of years, vras formally presented to the cor- 
poration, for the purpose of being placed in the Town Hall. 
Tlie painting was executed by Mr. F. Grant, E.A., at a cost 

of 400 guineas. The Hunslet Mechanics' Institution was 

inaugurated by a soiree in the National school room of that 

township. On Tuesday night, tlie 25th October, and 

during the greater part of Wednesday, nearly every part of 
the island was visited by one of the greatest storms of wind, 
accompanied by showers of sleet and rain, ever recorded. 
xSor was the hurricane confined to the sea, for it extended to 
several of the inland towns. The most dreadful disaster 
at sea Avas the wreck of the Royal Charter steam-clipper 
from Australia, and the loss of upwards of 400 lives, off 
Moelfra, near Bangor. 

LEEDS MUXICTPAL ELECTIONS, November 1st, 1859. 

Those in brackets were elected. 
MiLi.-HiiL, rj W. Smith. L, 328, R. Hirst, C, 327] H. W. 

Price, C, 326, .T.\Mi(Kl]eton, L, 321. Wesp, fJames Reffitt, L, 

1,116, JasMph Wright. C. 721,] G. Tatham, L," ^6/ North- 

West, [David Newton, L, 50l,] Samuel Freeman, C, 191. 

North-East, [James Trumble,'L, 747',J James Phillips, C, 567- 



748 ANNALS OF LEEDS, YORK, AND 

1859.— Nov. 

North, [William Maivson, L, 351,] Ud. Wm. Moore, C, 292. 

East, [Jcsepli Lobley, L, 68/,] W.St. J. Wheelhonse, C, 411. 

KiRKGATK, [Edmund Stead, L, 252,] Jame^ Stable.s, C, 203. 

South, [John Harrison, L, 282,] Wm. France, C,214. HuNSLar, 

[Thoma.'^ Wood, I., 64!,] Hichard Pallfu, C, 412. Holbeck, 

[Robert Meek Carter, L, 1,102, Wm. IlIirio:n'ortli, L, 1,083,] Christo- 
pher Tophaui, C, 62B. Hkadinglev, [Edward i3ishop.s, C] 

Bramlky, [Joseph Winn, L, 248, Robert Coxon, L, -248,] F. Fernsi, 

C, 22. W'iliiam Kelsall, Esq., was elected mayor. 

■ Nov. 9th. The (blluwiaij were elected aldermen : — Wm. Kelsall, J. 

D. [/uccock. K Wibon, Joseph Middleton, J. O. March, William 
Firth, Jo.seph Ilichard>on, Ob idiah Nn.ssey. 

. Nov. 21st. Mill-hil!, vice Nu-^sey, alderinan, [W. H. Price, C, 
36/ ,1 Joiin Lambert, L, 309. 

: Nov. 1. An act to ameud the laws relating to nmnicLpal 
electioiis received tlie royal assent on the 10 ch of .April, and 
ca^me into operation on the 1st of Noveiuber. The nio.st im- 
portant provi.sioa relates to the DomiTiation of Coimcillors, 
which is for tke future to be made m -^^riting, and to he 

duly published y.trevious to the day of election. 8th. 

The Leed.s Tv)wn Council resolved b}' a luajority of 33 to 13, 
'' That the members of the Council wear their official robes 

oh Till ]:>ubMc and .sj:>ecial occasions. " 2nd. A new church, 

situated at Hak^y'lliil, Halifax, dedicated by the title of All 
Souls, wa.s consecrated by the Right Ilev. the Lord Bishop 
<;:f ltij>ou. The erection of this sacred edifice was at tlie cost 
of Edward Akroyd, Esfj., of Bank Field, Halifax, and 
Denton Park, Otley. Mr. Akroyd has also handsomely 
endowed the church, and towards tlie curates' stipend a grant 
t)f £70 per annum has lieeu made by th^e Additional Curates' 
■Society. The patronage is vested in Mr. Akroyd, his 

heirs and assigns for ever, IGth. The foundation stone 

of a new church, connected "".nth the lionian Catholic 
mission of St. Joseph, Hunslet, v.-as laid by Dr. Briggs, 
the Catholic Bi.shop of Beverley, in the presence of several 
of the clergy, and about 1,000 people. The style will be 
chiefly Gothic, liaving a small bell turret, and the material 
will be ornamental brick ; the v/ind'-w sills, muUions, jambs, 
key stones, /cc, being of terra cotta instead of stone. It 
will comprise a chancel and two side chapels, and accommo- 
dation will be provided for 560 worshippers. 

Dec. 20th. Died, aged 73, the Rev. Francis Thos. Cookson, 
A. M. , of St. John's, Leeds. Mr. Cookson was, at the time of 
his death, in tlie 50th year of his incumbency, to which he was 
appointed in September, 1810. He was a very kind-hearted 



THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. 749 

1859.— Dec. 

and benevolent man, always ready to give ^^dth a liberal hand 
to the poor around him. During the last twelve years of his 
life he suffered severely, bnt witli cheerful patience, from a 
painful affection of the limbs, which incapacitated him from 
active duty ; but even to within the last few weeks he was 
carried in a chair to his cliurch and performed part of the 
service, his voice and the tiue faculty of readiug for which he 
was remarkable, being little impaired by the malady which 
crippled his limbs. He was the eleventh incumbent of St. 
John's church, which was consecrated on the 21st Sept,. 
1634, by Ai'chbishop Neale. On Monday, the 12th of March, 
in the following year, the Rev. Edward Muuro, M.A., 
incumbent, Harrow-on- Weald, Stanmore, (diocese of 
London), was appointed to the vicarage. The number of 
candidates was 122. The appoiiitment was vested in the 
mayor for the time being (Mr. Kclsall), the Rev. James 
Atley, D.D., vicar of Leeds, and Joseph Middleton, J. M. 
Barret, and John Botterill, three members of the town 

council. 28th. Died, aged 59, Lord Macauley, one of 

the most distinguished noblemen and writers of the present 
century. He was the son of Zackary Macauley, formerly a 
West India merchant, who was known in public life as the 
personal friend and coadjutor of the celebrated Wilberforce. 
In the year 1818 he entered Trinity College, Cambridge, and 
some years later took his bachelor's degree in the ordinary 
course. In 1819 he obtained the Chancellors' medal, awarded 
to compositions in English verse. He won considerably 
higher honours, and indeed gained the very highest in clas- 
sical departments which the university could confer. After 
leaving college he applied himself to tlie study of laAv, and 
was called to the bar in 1826. He began very early to apply 
himself to literature. He was one of the first and ablest 
among the contributors to Kniglit's Quarterly Magazine, and 
in due season gained access to the Edinburgh Review. Tlie 
article on Milton — the first in the collection of his essa3-s — 
appeared in that journal in 1827. Other articles followed 
in the same periodical, namelj*, Essays on Bacon, Macliiavel, 
Lord Clive, Warren Hastings, Walpole, Lord Chatham, etc. 
He also tried his powers as a poet, and wrote "Lays of 
ancient Rome," a work which added greatly to his fame. In 
1831 he entered parliament as member for Colne, a boroiigh 
in the interest of Lord Landsdowne. He made his first 
speech in favour of the Reform Bill, and shortly came to be 
considered a prominent member of the whig party. His 
eloquence and capacity for the discussion of affairs gave him 



750 AJS^NALS OF LEEDS, YOUK, AND 

1859.~Dec. 

great |)opiilarity in the house. In 1832 lie was elected 
member for Leeds along witli tlie late Mr. John Marshall, 
jun. In 1834 he was appointed secretary to the India Board, 
and shortly afterwards was made a member of the East In- 
dia Compnny's supreme court at Calcutta. He was absent 
in Indiii f.)ur years. The year after his return (1839) he was 
elected for Edinburgh, and in the following year accepted 
office as secretary at war. At the general election of 1847 he 
lost his seat for the Scottish capital owing to his vote on the 
Maynooth grant. Some years later (1852) without canvass- 
ing, withcmt even co7Jiing forward as a candidate, he v/as 
triumphantly returned for Edinljurgh at the head of the poll. 
During this exclusion from public life he devoted his time 
to literary pursuits. The complete collection of his ' ' Essays, " 
and in 1849 Ins elaborate History of England from the accession 
of James II, (2 vols. 8 vo.) were the fruits of this retirement. 
Two other vols, of the history followed, Macauley was un- 
questionably a man of genius, as well as a scholar, critic, and 
reformer, and no higher compliment was ever paid to litera- 
ture, and none more sa,tisfactory to the nation than his 
elevation to the peerage in 1857. Lord Macauley was never 
married, and the title he had so well won, consequently died 
with him. 



INDEX TO THE ANNALS 



ferts, lark. K?^ %\mm\Mn^ f istrirt* 



ABRRDEEN ministry dft.i. 663 

Adel (hurrh 19, ruins of Roman 
town 109, Ronian coffin found 
at Addle mill farm 57.2, Leeds 
Rpformatoiy xcliool yoi 

Aire, river navig;ible 17, descrip- 
tion of 108, .•stoam-boat on 243, 
epigram on 6^7 

Airedale Cojlet'e 19;>, 378, Mrs. 
Bacon's endowment 521 

Akroyd, Jonatlian 04") 

Ale acts -26, ')S, 167 

Alexandria, .surrender of 203 

Alfred tlie Gre:ir 12 

Allen, B H 34G 

Allerton Hall, 1:?7 

America, warof Independence 154 

Acne. Qupei. 89 

Aram Eugene 129,383 

Ardsit-y, East, colliery accident 
22 1, Main*' col. tern hie pxpisu. 
534, instance of courige at, 309 

Ark-.vria!.t, Sir I'ichard. 178 

Ari?)l(-y, Dani.^-h earth.-, ork 7, 
cfiMpel of ea>e 66, in.-cription.s 
in ch qui 85, 98, 106, mills firp 
at 319, .shock nii? murder at the 
Malt Mill inn 682 

Arson, cruel case of 400, execu- 
tion lor 400 

Arth.nyton rriory, sur. of 47 

A.'-^sault, action lor, Newtoii v. 
Iry 732 

Askliarn, r-?nter 5i 

Astronomical events — eclipsessun 
8x. (annul ir 438,70^) 5f),mnon 
4 44. comets 101, 231, 431, 
(l»oni'ti>) 730, spot on su: 361 

Atkm.son, R. V Mihs 228 

Atkinson, John, of Leeds 409 



Atlantic telegraph 715 
Avens Wm. of Leeds 596 

Bacon kogek, 24 

Bacon, Lo'd 64,66 

Bacon, Mrs. of Bradford, 626 

Baildon, property destroyed by 
factory opL-ratives 685 

Baines, Edward, elected M.P. for 
Leeds 416, 422, 447; testimo- 
nial to 478, life or 56!, portrait 
prtsented to Leels mechanics' 
institute 589 

B.n I ;es, E . J u ; ! , engra ved portrait 
pre.'^ented to (,eed.s mechanics' 
institute 531, tdectcd M.P. for 
I/ceds /S') 

B.iine.s, M. T., nia.Jc pre-ident of 
the poor-law hoard 573, resig. 
nation of 667, made chancellor 
of Duchv o( Lanca ler 674, 
elecred M P for L<^ed> 612. 623, 
6/4, 692, i:eah of7;U 

Baker. K'ohert, anpoiMied (.suh)- 
inspectr.r of iv.r-r(*iie.s 421, 7!3 

Ba fTs ;i;id bn->vf.T.-, !)0M' pui.isheJ 
for fr.u^h 26 

Balloofi a-cpnt.^ 16."-, 234, 246, 
302,310, 3 is, 339, .^31 

Bank of EnijI in !, iiicorporation of 
98. notes for s'n;ll .-^u us 155, 
18S. cash pav^nie;;t.s snspd. 187 

Btrkisla.aj iVe.' school 90 

Rarr, iulwar !, finr-ry hy 437 

B.irratr. Steplien 2!'3 

Barbotir, Aiin. murder by 292 

Bariis'ey,St Georfe'sc: urch290, 
distress 354. Mount Osborne 
colliery ex|dosioii 478, r'<rrible 
flood 457, .-t. .John's ohnndi686 

Bateman, Mary, Ykse. witch 218 



752 



Batley church struck by lightning 
165, gas contest 584 

Battles of Adderton /o, Agin- 
court 40, Albeur.i •228, Alma 
653, Badaioz 232, Baden Hill 

8, Bdaklava 6:)4, Bmnock- 
burn 29. Boinford 13, Borough- 
bridge 30, Busaco 256, Corunna 
221,Flodden Field 45,Hadfield 

9, Hastings 14, Inkerman 655, 
Marstoii Moor "J"] , Oporto 222, 
Rolica 221, Salimauca 232, 
Standard 19, Ta icaster /I, 
Talavera 222, Tchernaya 667, 
Toulouse 242, Tow ton 42, Vit- 
toria ^41, VVaketield Green 42, 
Waterloo 248, Wetherby /I, j 
Winuioor 9, Worcester 88 } 

Batty-wood coins found at 526 I 
Baynbiidoe, Christopher 44 ! 

Baynes, Adam of Leeds, 64, 81 | 
Beaumont, the Rev. Dr. 663 | 

Beckett, Sir John (first) 328 i 

Becketr, :?ir John, public dinner 

to 439, life of 542 
Beckett, Christopher 535 
Beckett, Wm. portr.iit presented 

to corporation 7^7 
Beckwith, John, of Leeds 673 
Beckwith, W. the Leeds dfctr. 5/8 
Be<lc, death of 10 
Beecrofr, Georae 465 
Beecroft, G. S. elected M.P. 697, 
735, sec. address royal speech 
733, banquet to 736 
Beer Act, 368 

Beeston, church 17, fvre at 673, 
famous for luanuiactureof bone, 
lace, and straw hats 57, 69, 
dreadful tragedy at and execu- 
tion on Holbeck Moor 100, riots 
at 188, Main col. explosion 541 
Ben Rhi-dding 503 
Bennet, J. H mtnslghtr by 486 
Bentle3^ Richard 127 
Benyon, Thomas 408 
Berkenhout, Jolin 173 
Bible, price of in 13th century 27 
Bmus, John, of Leeds 185 
Bingleyin the twelfth century 18, 
par < an ! castle 63 Ro man aii 



tiquities found 159, chartist 
riots at 558, fire 709 

Bingham, Joseph 91 

Birchall, Samuel, 246 

Birdsall, Richd., meth. prchr. 307 

Birkbeck, Dr. 479 

Birstal church yard curious epi- 
taph in 156, planting Glaston- 
bury thorn 162 

Births .singular 257, 315,513, 682 

Bischoif, James 514 

Black, Dr Joseph 194 

BlacVburn, Jo.sh.ex.forforg'y, 251 

Blansharfl, William, made Re- 
corder of Doncaster, 698 

Blenkinsop, Alex, forgery by 552 

Slenkinsop's locomotive 232 

Board of Trade established 9/ 

Boat acdnts. on the Ouse 364,412 

Body stealing or burking at Leeds 
and other places 322. 323, 340, 
358, 375, 382 

Booth royd. Dr. 438 

Bolton-upon-Dearnedbl.mdr. 686 

Bolton priory, surrender of 47^ 
prior's oak 118 

Bolton Grange, near Bradford, 
atrocious outrage and rob. 616 

Bows and arrows superseded by 
muskets 46 

Bower, Jo<hua. 667 

Bradford, first and second siege of^ 
72, 76, woolcombers' festivals 
150, 228, 316, 689, worsted 
trade 1 76, 191, Piece Hall I77, 
first mill wrought by steam 190, 
distress 195, 527, 553, popula- 
tion 200, volunteers 207, Christ 
church 255, gas company 298, 
famous strikes 318, 494, riots 
(power looms) 324. (poor law) 
449, civil and military collisioa 
558, typhus fever 332, me- 
chanics' institute 396, soiree of 
532, pariinmentary elections 
394, 422 447, 547,^693, boiler 
explosions 502, 591, charter of 
incorporation 548, ^»a^quet lO 
Mayor 550, murder of B. Gott 
509, fire an<i catastrophe at 
Wood and Walker's old mill 



753 



r-!9, St GecTge's hall, ope-iiru^ 

and grant! muiicil festival Go5, 

>eco.id ditto €S1. «!ej??ription of 

building 637, gT<-M ftre 644, 

Hmqaet to nmv-L»rSainl. J^I^ith, 

658, Peel statue inauffuniteti 

671, aiuriler oF Uan.-iah Hoi- 

ruyii 694, Braiiforrl, W.ikefield, 

ani! J.,eeds rai'way op^ne;! 701, 

?>tvl. clil. ^<CJ- bto. Htr Miijestj- 

7 14, wholesale poi^^oning br 

lozenges 731 

Braoihiim Moor, view from, 161 ; 

■ o. park mansion destryd. 33S 

Bramhope tunnel acdnt. 652, JJ2 

Bra-nmah, Jot^eph 254 

Bramley Free scLo<}I and charities 

l6^, 'fires at 344, :;5S, philo- 

>opliical society 3-S5 

Brayton,nr. Seibv, nrr. acdnt C29 

Bn-ad riots 123, 164 

Bri ges. Tlios., the antiquary 122 

BrieHey and Lex Moor iron 

uorks 168 
Bright, John, marri.ige of 544 
Briiiffs, Kzekit-i, of Binelev 510 
Briiiht, H S.oFHul!,fffy'by704 
Brighton church ejiitaph m 293 
Briiain, Davi i, blind orcrnst 567 
Briiannia tubular bridge 585 
Britain, lioman invasion 2, cruelty 
to Queen Boidicea 3, under 
JuliU?! Atricola 4, subdued by 
Ida and E!1a 8, S-ixons para- 
mount 6 
BritL«'h Museum est ib!ishe«l 133 
British As<oc atiou Formed 381 
Brook, William, of i eeds 632 
BvcMik, Itev. W. P. acJnt. to 710 
Bro.vn. William Williams 673 
Bruncliff, case ofar.so.i at 294 
Bruns^vick thtre ,Lridn fill of 359 
Bull bailing 1/5, act abolish -^05 
Bunting. Dr.,ent»-riainment of, at 

Leefls 5>'8..1eath 713 
Buniert, Sir Francis, committal 

of 226. Fm^d 290 
Buritl ground discovered 396 
Burning of murderer 146 
Burke, Edmund, 1S8 
Burley, near Lee :s, made sepa- 



Tite vic-rge. 579. St. Matthew's 
church 6.j9 
Burley Hall, fire at 29S 
Burton, R. S. testimonial to 7'12 
Bury St. Kdmo'Ads.'Prol. fire at 61 
Batterworih. Mr 421 
CASTLK HOWARD SE- 

Formatory 676 
Galea "er correction of. 2,55,132 
' Canning Gfi-orge 330 
Cannon bill'* ofstnue and iron 45 
California go', i discove'y 573 
Cnlverley-hail trage iy ."j8, witch- 
craft a't 60, fire at Calverley 296 
Calder river public bptsm-?. in 530 
Capp-^ Nevvcoine of Leeds 200 
Carlisle Earl (sixth) 56/ 
Carolme Queen, bill or pains 289 
Carlt.MU, vaulted sejulcii re at 121 
Carr Mrs. legacie.^ by 5.30 
Catholics, laws agdnst, 5l,iasur- 
rectioa in. favour of 54, relief 
bill343,firstcath9lic M.P. after 
345, cath'dic priests (Lee is) 
carrietl off by ty|)hus fever 543 
Cato-si-eet conspiracy 2>-3 
Caivthra Mr. the vrrt^rilist 672 
Cawood Jo in of Leeds 52t 
Census 294, 370, 469, 593 
Charles 1. deata warraat 84 
Charles II res to at ion 91 
Chapel town, bequests for po«3r of 

137, lighted with gas 501 
Character, d -fimation of (James 

V Brook) 515 
Chartiist riots (1839; 464, (1842) 

483, grent p*-titions 482, 557 
Chantry Sir Francis 479 
Charsworth, coins fouad at 501, 

storm 753 
Chat Mos-ifireof 50/ 
Children forbidden to be sold 14 
Chimney sweepers act 480 
Chorley Thos. resignation is sur- 
geon of Leeds infirTnary 402 
Cholera .387, 419, 561, 576,652 
Chur.vell, murderoas condt at 672 
Church Fenton station, railway 

accident 68 1 
Circus, fall at Leeds 555 
Civil wars 69 to 84 



754 IN 

Clark.son Thomas 532 
Clark Dr. A^iain 390 
Clayton, atteinpted murder at 586 
Clecklu'titon conaul chapel 698 
Cleinentj^haw KTof Wakfld 290 
Clergymen prevented from sitting 

in house orcouiinons 203 
Cliffor.l 'i ho.s Lord kiiled 40 
Close Thomas ofLeed-^ 185 
Cloth niaiiufaetr. em^ouraged 34 
Cloth makia.i; expedition.sly, 230 
Coach a.'ei.k.nts 243, 301, 334, 

359,391, i 05, 613 
Coaches intrcdr-l. 57, 64 149, 156 
Coals their u.-^e forbidden 28 
Coal hed, fire of at Leeds 330 
Coal mmps. iuveiuie labour in 480 
Cobbe, Col. 'rippoint-d chief con- 
stable ffT West- Riding 686 
Cobbett Mr. :?:)M. trivl of'377 
Cobdeii Rd. W R banquet to 574 
Cobden Rd address at l^eds on 
Russian war G62, G. Thompson 
.same .snbj.'ct 664 
Cochrane Ld. e-scpe. fm. prison 246 
Cockburn, Rev. Sir Wm. /lO 
Coiner.s and clippers 149 
Coins diseoverv of 211, 269, 296, 

300,321, 396,628,686 
Colliei, Rev Jas. seceeding from 

"Wesleyav) connexion, 633 
Colliery accidrnts and explosions 
188," 224, 255, 2t6, 316, 402 
440, 456, 478, 534, 541, 5/3, 
598, 623, fol 
Colne-i)ridi.'c, calamitous fire 269 
Coltniaii. dustiee, de ith of 577 
Coltoii Rev d .sulci !e of 163 
Congreave the poer 97 
Coniston, manor of sold 45 
Cook Robert, \icaT of Leeds, 62 
Cook Cap'ain 159 
Cook, J. P.,psnd. by Palmer 6/6 
Cook.son, Thomas 408 
Cookson, F. T. Rev. of Leeds 748 
Corn first used in Britain, 3 
Corn, milling of 93, corn acts re- 
lating to exportation and impor- 
tation 21 1, 254,corn law rpl. 530 
Coulthurst, Dr. H. W. 266 
County Court Acts 535 



County elects. limited tol day62& 
Cowling, burst, of reservoir at574 
Craven plundered by Scots 29 
Craven Sir "William 61 
Crawford brors. of Hoi beck fatal 

affray bet. 600 
Cricket matches 390, 532, 549^ • 

558, 567, 699 
Crimes ceased to be c ipitally pun- 
ished 442 
Crimean monument 737 
Cromwell, Oliver 91 
Cros.sley Frank, peoples park 69& 
Crowbill, description of bog at 312 
Cudwortii, railway accident at 522: 
Cumberland, last Earl of 57 
Customs, curious 106,107.135,145' 
DANES, massacre of 13 
Darley Main col. explosion 5/3 
Darley, nr. Ripley, murder at Ji4r 
Darling, Grace 457, 486 
Dawson, Wm. meth. prcachr. 47Q 
Dawson, Jo. of Roydshall 244 
Days in month, ancient rule to 

know 55 
Debt first contracted on govern- 
ment security 40 
Debts, act 2 and 3 V^ic. 85, 461 
Denison, Sir Thomas 145 
Dennison, William of Leeds 163 
Derby govt, d ltd. 734. 7.37 
Desmond, Countess of 56 
Dewsbury, ancient cro'^s at 8, 
church rebuilt 146, Roman an- 
tiquitie>< and coins found at 292, 
377i fire at anfl mournful oc- 
currence 329, fir>it lighted with 
gas 343, Springfield Indepen- 
dent chapel 676 
Diamond, valuable 646 
Diet of poor in 1 800, 97 
Diptherii 732 

Di.s.senters'act 436,ch ipel bill 50^ 
Distre.'ss, general 184, 194, 260, 

288,444 
Dobson, Jo. the murderer 492 
Dodworth, tlood at 457 
DoMcastcr, Viscount created 63 
Doncaster, destroyed by fire 11, 
earthquake at 175, Christ ch, 
struck by lightning 440, parish* 



church destroyed hy fire 626, 
memorable St. Leger races 49/, 
589, forgery on branch York- 
>hire Banking Co. 599 
Donkey, an aged 425 
Doomsday book lo 
Douglas, Gen, in Yorkshire 30 
Dove, Harriet murder of 6/4 
Dream, curious effects of 423 
iDrighlington scJil endoumnt. 100 
Drummoud, Ed. murder of 488 
Dudley r.iilway accident nr J\6 
Dyon, William and John the 

murderers 33/ 
Earth QUAKF, shocks in 
England 105, 111, 134, 157, 
161,175,187,418,427,488,621 
America 234, West Indies 482, 
4SX, at Naples 705 
Educafional, riatioial, Lord John 
Rus-^iell's scheme defeated 677 
Edward the Confessor 14 
Edwd. I. Qneen in labour, while 

hunting 28 
Edwards, the Eevd 165 
EUand, grant of market to 30 
Elland tnigedy 33 
Election riots 422, 423, 447 
Elescar, singular Case ofsut'ctn. 643 
Elliott, Ebenezer 580 
Elizabeth, Queen 58 
Elopement from Roundhay 529 
Ely, Rev. John 405, .550 
Kmbsay priory founded 18 
England, in\asion of by Bruce 35 
Encland and Sc(;tland united 111 

do Ireland 202 
Eng. and Fr mc-e, peace betn. 204 
England at war 206, 208 
European pestilence 35 
Executions for murder 156, 162, 
^f■^, 205, 211, 213, 218, 225, 
227 493, 538, 553, 554, 568, 
510, 624, 625, 743, for burglary 
1/5, forgery 206, 251 
Exhibition, great (1851) 595 
FACTORY CHILD, ILL 
iis.ige of, at Leeds 406, f.ictory 
acts 414,538 
Fairftx, Gen ral 97 
Fairs forbdn. in ch. yards 27 



X. -755 

Fairweatlier, niuri r at 554 
Farnley, boiler expl,,s!on at 369 
Farnlev C'.ar.rrv 40, ,io ha'l ,5/, 

139, dr,. .vorM) ].]or 9:) 
Farsley, murder il hy .si likers .395 
Fashions iji dlilVifiU ivop« 43, 49, 

51,, 53, 110. J 7'', :^U 
Fata! vesper.-^ 64 
Favour, l)r of ! J:'liK;x H ■• 
Favvcetr, Rev. Rici^i.r ! 148,443 
Fawkes, Franc i.-^ lot' 
Fearne, Jo.vi:;h the 'unrderer 131 
Female bi,'rtm;sr. s;tle 0^510 
Female (Leea-i,, phi, ' r of 488 
Fisher, Ma'-y. iu:ci- < ' 64 1 
Fitzwillian;, coiu.hNs ^"96 

do. E,.ri :j9^, /OI, re- 
moval iVom oOKe :::S1 
Flansha-v, tniirr^ r ;,t -i'^ 
Flaxpvin. hdm 32b 
Flesh. 1;.-.:;,, ^o e.d TG 
Flie.', n' LIU" df 6*1.') 
Flitcli -r. ;;,r,-:: -th 145 
Flood's .>:, c-(\ . !3, ;;;<4. 681,699 
Florin 1 --'7: . !' J)7^ 
Flou^ : ']:evi'r:,v^ 552 
Fo..' , , :. . : :■ Mri. century 29 
Foi- •;. -: r,r tor ^(16, 251 

act ' ri ,. .v.( -;u;sfbr359 
For^ ^- ;. _^ r-!.. '■ v , ;:ri: of 535 

Fo>:. -^^ ,:.. .- ; i;79 
Fosr ; Pv ',,:•> »; 

Fot}:>:,Vi,,i. !^- (,!-, 'BI 

FoUP-- , ■'-H".r !72 

Fou; t. i '■ .■\h''r- r : - 

Fo>; V- • ; ,^ r. 

Frai ■ . •..•:.: ;.,• , ':,.;.;,i, ^^^0 

FraUMi,' eApKfiiiioij ;>J9 

French, thieatened invH.'-io!! 187 

French Revolution IJO., 3 8,554 

Friends' first meeting place in 

Leed.s 9() 
Frodsham, the tr.'.gedian :48 
Frugs, shower of 508 
Fro>t great 61, 102, '245, 456, 662 
Fulneck 133, Montgomery at 586, 

centenary iubilee 664 
GALLOWAY .loHN 207 
Garden.s, kitchen first cultivd. 45 
Garforth .Sf hool 140 
GargriHve, tradition respecting 45 



756 i^ 

Garj^rave, fir-^t rector of 24 
G:iScoi,i^ne Sir Thos. 226 
Gaskeil, Benjamin G72 
Gatet5heacl,tt'rnfic explasion at657 
Gefrge Hi, 143, attpmpted mur- 
der of 165, 184,201, dth or283 
George-! lYtli's coroi]:ition 291 

do. death 360 
Gibson, Sanil the naturalist 5/5 , 
Gilder.'^ome, serious burglary 7^'^*) | 
boiler explosion 717 i 

Giles, Rev. V.. J . fkrewell ads. 522 ! 
Gipseys 383 
Gl.iss uiaking 10, 153, value of in ; 

Ifith centy 49, glass cloth 442 
Glasgow and T'liisley riots at 283 ' 
Goo(hnan, George presentation of I 
mayors' ch.ain to 438, faf-oimile \ 
presented to ma3H)r for the time : 
being by him, 694, portrait 
nresentation 448, knighted 608, 
elected M.P. tor Leeds 612, : 
de.iih 746 
Goodman, Benjamin 558 
Goodricke, Sir'll. J. 405 i 

Gott, Benjamin 465, bu.st of 6/8 ; 
Grammar iitst printed 44 
Gray, Tho.s. on rai Inays, 287, 
Great T.astern stm. ship expla.745 
Green K. J. accident to 714 
Grt-efifield murder at 3H', \ 

Guest, Genera! 130 \ 

Guernsey, cata-stropiie at 421 i 

HABKAS CORPUS ACT .su.s- . 
pended !81, 192, 561 ^ 

Haddin, Kitty, of Huddd. 532 
Hail.vtojie, Samuel 599 
Hal.-y, Job!, G96 '■ 

Hali, Flenry resignation ^.s trea- 
.vurer to Ixeds iiiiirruary, 65G, '■ 
sketch of life 745 
Hall, Roht. .veriou'^ accident to 
661,-lecled M.P. f^)r Leeds 692 : 
death and sketch of lite 691 _ 
H.al tun, near Leeds, javnous for 

cloth dyeii.g 157 
Halifax, o?i<ri!) el' i:'G, bequests 
to 97. first vicar of 27, popula- ; 
ti.'>n ill 16th century 49, act to 
encourage cloth trade at 51, : 
gr;',min;ir school 57; corpora- 



tion, chaiter of ^-y, bloody field 
80, the goldsmith's grave at 64, 
inscription on church bell 104, 
church struck by lightning 66, 
penny tokeiLS 85, gibbet law at 
86, lord of the manor's impost 
on cloth 108. ir^e school 120, 
earthquake at 142, piece hall 
I'/^i, new church 190, colours 
presented to volunteers 208, 
murder at (Asquith) 277, 
lighted with gas 300, tithe com- 
mutation bill 345, horrible raur- 
dei in a newspaper oiliee /I I, 
parliamentary elections at 394, 
422, 447, 547, 693, incorporatd. 
554, boiler explosion 591, fir.- at 
Lee mills 640, Haley- hill work- 
ing man's college 676, all .saints 
church 677 great gatherit g of 
sal 'bath schools 679, prpsenta- 
tion of peoples' park b.: Fr'-ik 
Crossley 698 

Hamburg, great fiie at 482 

Hamilton, Rev R "VV. testim«nl. 
to 494, life of 559 

Hampale Priory 21 

Plarewood. House 143. visited by 
Princess Victorii 430 ; ildwin, 
Lord 182; Edward, Earl of 
287; Heniy, second Earl, sud- 
den death of 4/9 ; Henry, third 
Earl, accident to and death, and 
sketch of life 688 ; Countess of 
466: rei oi c i ngs a t Ha re wood 
House 523,746; bridge, thunder 
storm at 544, vicar suspended 
573. chill murdt-r 736 

Harcourt, Hon ivJ. Vernon 551 

Harrison, John 89 

Har!";son,Jno the n.cclianicianlOo 

Harrison, tbe Leeds irtn telr 684 

HnrroG-atc Hi::!;, church at 382 

Hartley, J):\yh] H !, 140 

Hasrjnns, Lady Elizabeth 123 

H'lvebcV, Gener^d 704 

Hau-ortji ohnrch 139 

He-^ding!ey ch;irity school 190, 
cbi.vcii 44 J. <^Ardens 5G7, e[osed 
714 

Reaps, Jolm of Leeds 6>^2 



Hearth tax 94 

Hebden bridge, tire at 340 

Heckmondwike, dreadful and fatal 
panic in metliodist chapel 345 

Hemingiield col. expln. 623, 651 
Henry- VI. armies r. Duke of 
York 41 

Henry 1,15; II. penance of 21 ; 

Hepper, W. E nppntd. Leeds bore' 
treasurer 70/, portrait 745 

Herschell, William 297 

Her, William of Leeds 2/0. 502 

Hick, Samuel 348 

High trea«!on, trials for 181 

Hill, John Hep'vorth 573 

Hipperholme-cum- F-righouse free 
grammar school 84 

Hippopotomic remains discoverd 
at W.^rtley 609 

Hirst, Wm. testml. to 3 1 9, his ap- 
peal 389, in gaol 443, life of 7 1 6 

Holbeck, chai>el of 16 and I7, 
opposition toFawcett's ministry 
at 134, population in 17th cen- 
tury '■7, munier at 211, St. 
Mat the v's chiTch 346, dread- 
ful firework explosion 431 
poisoning at (Illin^^vorth) 513, 
man.vlansrhter 600, St John's 
church 5f)l, St. Bumahas 67I, 
miinicipil cemetery 697; races, 
serious accident at 700 ; Hol- 
beck Mechanics' Institute, 709 

Holdsworth, Dr. murder of 51. 

Hole, Jjime.s. prize essay on me- 
chanics' iiistitute.s 630 

Holmfir h tloods 291,600 
.Holmes, Rev. Jo. prp.sentatioii to 
,5n3,.=il6, death of 650 

Hood. Robin the outlaw 25 

Honk, Dr elected vicar of Leeds 
444. bust of presented to Mrs 
Hook 512, Binquet and testi- 
inoiaals to 739. 

Horslorth chapel 141.mrdrat 211 

Horhury cliurch 170 

Hor-sp. stone.-5 found in stomach 
of 340, 5S6 

HouHrd, John I7I 

Ho'vden, terrible accident at the 
Ouse chemical '.vork:?- 704 



Howley Hall 57 

Huddersf]eld,the EamsJen family 
103, Roman antiquities found 
128, piece hall 146, tunnel of 
canal 228, Hudder.sfield and 
L^^pper Agbrigg intirrnary 246, 
377? stoppage of banks 257, 
nots 263, 288, first li^'hted with 
gas 292, accident 317, great 
fire 337, 504, 598,hurricane 346, 
thunder storm 380, parliamen- 
tary elections 415, 447, 54/, 
628, 693, murder at 466, re- 
joicings at 618 , fire at Folly- 
hall factory 685 ; boiler explo- 
sion at Upper AspW 784 ; 
railway accident at the Spring- 
wood junction. 713 

Hulme, Dr. of Halifax 214 

Hull, plague Cy, sleae of 70, 
regatta 347, fire 621. ilood 584 

Huinber, great flood 584 

Hume. JrVph 663 

Hunt, Henry, pro-ecution of 280 

Hur.slet chapel (St. Mary'-s) 67 
tower built 396. made separate 
vicarai-e 548, in 17th century 
87, fall of wii-dmill 15:% fir^ 
at 209, 217, stone coffin dis- 
covered 305, child stolen from 
31! , suspeni-ion hi idee 346, 
lighted with gas 431 cemetery 
at Woodhcuse-hill 517, i-'iurder 
at by MaUin 56^. strike at 
Kits n's works 59/. rnys'erious 
occutrcncp in t],e I.oneb ttom 
family 6^.4, cholera (M\ ;icci- 
dent at \ViIson\s fouiidry 6S3; 
erection of Komau Catholic 
church 7-^S 

Hurricanes, great 459, 623 

Hydrophobia, cases of 153,402 

IBBET.-^ON, Sir Henry 131 

Ikin, Thomas 409 

Ilkle.v Wells hydropathic e.stab- 
li.shment 679, mysterious death 
of Mr.s. M'KniohteSO 

Indian ma-ssacre 481 : ,'rreat mili- 
tary mutiny 694 

Ireland, preat distres-s 529 

JACK80N,FottyofHolbeck,340 



758 in: 

James I book of sports 63 
James, Win, of Lee<i8 police 702 
Jeiiner, Dr. parly, grant to 205 
Jenkins, Henry (old) 95 
Jews, massacre at York 22 
Jocelyn, Lord 651 
Joint Stock Company's mania 320 
Jones, Paul 157 

Jowett, Hannah of Bradford 321 
KEIGHLEY, parish church cf 
108,527, fall of a wool ware- 
house 291; infant prodigy at 
162; Are at 71 2 
Kellingbeck, John B. D. 1 17 
Kirkdale cave 293 
Kirkheaton, murder at 227 
Kirkless park, fatal poaching 

afFiay in 335 
Kirkstall, Selith the shepherd, 
fixed his hermitage at 13; 
abbey founded 19, old gnmary 
taken down 127. fall of dormi- 
tory 130, fall of part of tower 
157, Graham's gift towards 
erection of chuich at 323, St. 
Stephen's 338, do. struck by 
lightning 400; abbey mills, 
fire of 335, mechanics' institute 
624, fortune-teller 213 
Kitchingman family 137 
Knaresbro' castle founded 15, 
refuge of murderer of Thos. 
A 'Beckett 21, granted to John 
O'Gaunt 36, surrendered 81, 
priory founded 25, coins found 
at 211, blind Jack of 226, fall 
of viaduct 554. skeletons found 
at 619 
Knights Templars 18. 21 
LAKE, John, Dr. 65,91,97, 104 
Lambert., Daniel the Giant, 223 
Lambert, Phineas 403 
Lancaster, the Earl of 31 
Lancaster and York Houses, con- 
flict between 41, do united 44 
Laxcelles, Hon. W. S. 596 
Lawrence, Mrs of Studley 518 
Leah, Henry 529 
Leeds, its oriffin 7, state of in 
different ;igMs 15, 46, 63, 109, 
11(3, 19;>, Thore.>i.>-'3 history of 



(Leefls continued) 
116, Castle 16, Richard II. at 
37, Scarbro's hotel built on site 
145, Roman ford discovered 
281, Rokley f^imily 44,Rokley 
hall 68, 195, common bake- 
house 52, "IVnfures" near 
Leeds Bridge 56 ; Leeds soke, 
origin of 61 ,254, trial respecting 
166, act to abolish 461, Leeds 
called upon to pay ship money 
68 ; civil wars, town taken by- 
Fairfax 73; Red hall, Chas. I. 
imprisoned in 83, 195, Aus- 
thorpe. Knostrop, and North 
hall 196; manor of Leeds, 
5-9ths of purchased by cor- 
poration 89, old prison 89, tokens 
89, 414 ; flesh eating forbidden 
92, hearth tax 94, cloth 
market removed from Briggate 
103, Aid. Atkiason'shouse 1 13, 
toll claimed by Ripon 107, 
watch and ward kept 104, Duke 
of cieated 105, ducking stool 
at 106, fre^-men 107, General 
Wade's encampment 1 29, relics 
found 129, human remains 171, 
558 ; Aire river, water pumped 
from I05,curiousboatrideonl 18 
Improvement acts 133, 1.36, 
17 i, debating .society 180, fall 
ofa chapel 186, machinery 187, 
butchers' custom of killing 218, 
Middle Row, ;emoval of 29/, 
318, Haigh park races 310, 
wrestling match at 337; Leeds 
barrack.s, fatal fight at 418, 
Princess Viccoria at Leeds 430, 
public exhibitions 461, 495, 
burial grounds, .state of 481, 
close 1 552, 657, committee of 
ve>ms the Rev. S Kettlewell 
593 ; statistical inquiry as to, 
Leeds 463, Yorkshire agricul- 
tural society 577» floral show, 
578; fall of circus 555, dense 
fc^ 591, 642; recreation so- 
ciety (1st concert) 611, dis- 
solved 7'^3; inauguration of 
Peels statue 615, Leeds aca- 



T59 



{Leeds roii/inued) 

demy of arts 63 1 , 644, boiler 
explosion at Low Fold mills 
639, departure of 28th regiment 
for seat of war 646 ; Woodhou.se 
Moor, meeting of freeholders as 
to 657, town council's com- 
mittee 659, purcha.sf of 669, 
671, licensed victuall-rs' pro- 
tfCtinn jsociety first dinner 66"2, 
breaking into Leeds nunnery 
67'2, Sunday bands on Wood- 
house moor 6/9, public recep- 
tion to 4th Dragoon guards 681, 
chess playing 682, Russian 
guns pre>ented to town 694, 
publicly placed on Woodhouse 
moor 700, removal of stalls, 
&c., fr(;m Briggate /OO, boiler 
explcji«icn at Harehills lane 
colliery 7^5, banquet to l^rd- 
lieutenant of West Riding by 
Sir Peter Faiibairn, mayor 745 
corporation banquet to mayor 
747, mating mechanical en- 
gineers 745, statue of 
Queen presented by Sir Peter 
Fairbaim 717. Queen Victoria's 
visit to Letds 7 '7) musica' fes- 
tivals 728, meeting of British 
Association 730 

Body stea'mg 375, 382 

Vistnss J 54, 1«4, 198, 260, 478, 
480, 481, 4^8 

Epii/emics, .-sweating sickness 49, 
plague 57, 81, fever 202, 542, 
570, 592, influenza 442, 552, 
cholera 576, 646. small jtox 585 

Fires 185, 193. ■?I2 213, 230, 
260, 265. 306, 314, 320. 336, 
370, 423, 438, 590, 680, 6bA 

FiOoHs 144, 149, 154, 171, 182, 
193, 213, 256, 294, 315,347, 
451,465. 

Murders, &c , Jcsiah Fearne 131, 
Mary Bateraan 218, Ann Cryer 
397, John Brown 225, Michael 
Stokes, 553, Tliomas Malkin, 
568; Wm. Dove, 647 5 lohn 
Hannah 683, Charles Norraing- 
ton, 743 



i {Leeils continued) 

! Poptdativn, 155, 294, 370, 469, 

j 593 

I Rcjoiciiiffs and iUunnnation^, 

j 168, 169, '.iOl, 244, 289, 380; 

, fall of Sebastopol, 668 ; peace 

I illumination. 678 ; marriage of 

the princess royal, 706 
i Riots, (turnpike) 132; (corn) 240 
; (plug drawing) 483 ; (police and 
j militaiy)500, 505, 591,714 
i Stormji, 204, 225, 305, 375, 380, 
I 400, 401, 413, 419, 424, 459, 
j 494, 495, 507, 585, 644, 648 
' Strikes, 166, 358, 370, 397, 402, 
j 417,511,541,591,633,730 
: Vohmlee/^, 163; review of 183 
185 ; testimonials and thanks 
' to, &c., 182, 205, 208; new 
corps, 737 
Chantries. — St. Mary's, (Leeds 
! bridge), 33; chantry in Kirk- 

gato, 40 ; do. in I^dy-lane, 52 
: Churches and matters relaiin^ 
■ thereto— St Peter'.s 16, ad 
1 vowson given to priory at York 
]/, mauie a vicarage 25, pur- 
chase of advowson 56, register 
' begins 55, curious extracts 
from 56, 66, 74, 99 103.125, 
i 157, 682, epitaphs, monum.ents, 
! &c, 92, 99, 101, 113, 185, 193, 
222, 737, 738 inhabitants as- 
sessed for repairs of church 93, 
repaired by coiporation 96, 
Aldies:-es pew enlarged 97, 
organ 1 16, 473 ; organist, elec- 
tion of 290, bells J 90. virar- 
age hou!*e 120 purcha.se of 
and tithes commutation 301 ; 
; Vicar, chance'y suit respecting 
i election of 130, list of vicars 
i 475, 476, Rev. R. Faweett 
! elected vicar 254, do. Dr. Mook 
444, do Dr. Atlay, 744 j 
election of churchwardens 425, 
481, church rebuilt and descrip- 
I tion 472, ancient stone coffin 
I found in 223, Vicarajio act 510. 
: St. John's 67, 68, chancery suit 
i as to benefice 90, 148, inscrip- 



760 



{Leetis continued.) 

tion in 102 ; election of vicar, 
748, 749; Holy Trinity 119; 
St. Paul's 172, organ 199 ; St. 
James' 181 : Christ church and 
Saint Mary'.s 299 ; St Marks 
300, pre.sentation of font by 
Aid Maclea 641 : St. George's 
440, oro:an 585 ; St Luke's 
469; St. Andrew's 515, St. 
Saviour's 522, refu.sal to bury 
at 642 ; St. Phillip's 524 ; St. 
John's (Holbeck) 551 ; St. 
Thouiis'.s 579 ; All Saints 590 ; 
St. Matthew'.s 596, St. Jude's 
G19, St. Michael's 619, 64/; 
St. Stephen's 660; St Colum- 
bus' chuTch 665. 

Chattels — {d\i\) Mill Hill 98, 
(new) 537 ; Friends' meeting 
house 10>5 ; "White chapel 134, 
165; Salem 1/3; Queen-street 
306 ; cenrenHry services, &c., 
664; Belgrave 436; East-pa- 
rade 462; Stone chapel, (1st 
Baptist) 159; Call-lane 104; 
Great George's street 5/9 ; 
Byron-street 480; Methodist 
chapel Albion street, (now 
used as a warehouse) 205 ; 
Wesley.iii, Meadow lane, 257 ; 
Brunswick, 309 ; Oxford-place 
436; St. Peters 416; Albion 
cha.]iel 186; Catholic (Lady- 

■ lane) 180; Mount St Mnry, 
630, terrible and fatal thunder- 
storm at 649 ; St. Patrick's, 
371 ; St. Ann's 459 ; Metho- 
dist ]New Conne-\ion, Wo.)d- 
house-lane, 693 

Institutions^ litorary^ educational 
&,'c. — Frt^e Grammar School 49, 
52, 65, repaired 304, masters 
of 145, 360, system of teaching 
extended 666, meeting as to new 
building 677? fbundatioa stone 
laid 7 1 0, description of building 
739 ; Leeds library 1 48 ; election 
of librarian, 643 ; National 
school 234; Lancasterian free 
school 240; Philosophical and 



{Leeds co'tUinued.) 

literary society 274, opened to 
non-subscribers 625, exhibition 
6tJ7, Baron's bequest to 652, 
lectures 599, 671, 686, 687; 
Society for encouraging fine 
arts 221 ; Sunday school union 
259 ; School of pracflcal art 553, , 
exhibition 67I ; Catholicliterary 
institution 598,.^oiree 625; Me- 
chanics' institute established 
307, meeting in favour of new 
building, 408 ; 01 ening of hall, 
477; soiree.s,&c.'486, 514, 532, 
552, 572, 5*^0, 591, 59 2, 596, 
622, 643, 645, 691,703,730; 
Young men's christian institute, 
660; West end people's institute 
672 ; Enst ward mechanics' 687, 
Church institute 688. Industrial 
school 569 ; fire at 676 ; Floral 
society 445; Rifle club, 448 ; 
Choral .»'ociety, 395 ; Madrigal 
and motet society 587 ; musi- 
cal union dissolved 678 

Charitable and- Provident instifu- 
tions, 8)-c. — Workhouse 66; 
school of industry (1st) 194; 
temperance society 366; Jen- 
kinson's and Daily's almhouses 
80; Hyrri-son's ho.spital SS-^ 
bequests to 132,142; Biyne.s' 
bequest to poor widows, 218; 
Dixon's bequest to widows of 
clergymen 1 18 ; Potter's alms- 
hou.«es 121 ; Chantrill's be- 
(j[uest to 145 ; public charities, 
enquiry info Qi'^ ; deeds respect- 
ing, where kept 98; list of 
benefactions to Leeds 113; 
{4o'is use property 365 ; be- 
nevolent, or strangers' friend 
society 1/1; Tnfirmar.y 174, 
grouniis extended 266, election 
ofphy-sician vi'.e Hobson 495, 
do. ifice Chorley 403, tiee 
'I'horp 406, Maude'.s donation 
to 599; Mr. Clapham's legacy 
to 610, treasurers resignation 
656 ; house of recovery 205, 500 
new workhouse, 7^2; guardian 



761 



{Leeds continued) 

society "292 ; eye and ear infir- 
mary 292 ; tradesmen's benevo- 
lent insiitutiou 496 ; public dis 
p<^nsHry 30/ ; charitable en- 
quiry office 585 ; savings bank 
268 ; model lodging house 594. ; 

Public buildings, S^c. — Fulling 
mills 36; Moot-hall 11 2, statue i 
placed in front of 115 ; coloured j 
cloth-hall 141, white do. 154, j 
155; a-ssembly rooms 156; ! 
ma«ic-hall 1/7; court-hou.«^ | 
230, 256. enlargement of 516 ; ! 
sub'^cription baths 2/7 ; cavalry 
barracks 290 ; Bazaar, new 
shambles 300 ; south market 
305 ; oil gas company 309, gas 
CO incorporation of 2/0, new do. 
409. Leeds first lighted with 
coal gas 2^7; Leeds co mer- 
eial bank stoppa£e of 240 ; post 
office removal 526 ; Leeds and 
"West- riding bank stpge. of 526 
Leeds club 534 ; boroush gaol 
(Armley) 4S2, 488, 546^ ga'olpr 
appomtment of 544, prize for 
plans 496, enlargnd 687, chap- 
lain r<^signatn and appoitmnt. ; 
687; l^et-iis and West-iiding i 
trade protectn. so- i^ty 572 ; co- 
operative flour mill 549; chamr. 
of commerce 594, meetings 646, : 
701 ; ct-n^ral market 314, 331 ; ' 
D-eds and Yks. fire insurance 
co.315. 621 . commercial build- 
ings 325 ; corn exchange :}27 ; 
branch bank of England 331 ; 
Kirkgate market 645, 693; 
cattle market, 632 ; yrant for, , 
645.649; takenfrom lessees 713 
comj)ens:ition for sites 497; 
stock exchanire 552 : Town-hall 
592, prfmiiira-( for plans 623, 
grants tovards 626, 71 J. 714, 
730, e-timates 63'^, tower 640, 
646, 649. oroan 6S4, 698, found- 
ation stone hid 633, works 
stopped ^JJ. comj^ensitfon to 
Mr. A tack 68/, hall opened hy ' 
Queen Victoria 71 7>.descriptioa 



(Leeds continued) 

of building 724 ; main sewers 
612. discoveries in connexion 
with 618, 628 ; waterworks 223, 
445, purchase of by council, &c. 
610, 640, 641, Wharfe supply 
651, lease of lands at Arthing- 
ton661; foundation stone laid 
665, compensation to mill own- 
ers on Wharfe 675 ; Leeds and 
Liverpool canal 150; 

Rat ways. — Leeds and Selby 203, 
360, opened 419; Leeds and 
Thirsk, 522; viaducts, 574; 
opened, 577 ; Leed.s and Brad- 
ford 529. I^eds an I Dews- 
bury 561, Leeds, Bradford and 
Halifax junction 651. 

Roads— h^vf^s and Birstal 316, 
Whitehall 407, Pontefract and 
Barnsdale 296. 

Bridges — Leeds bridge 121, 143, 
widened 187,Wellingfon bridge 
269. free for foot pa-sengers 548 
L'nion at Hunslet346, Victoria 
bridge 346, 459. 

Netrsp'ipers —Leeds newspapers 
price of 1>0, 188, Mercury 1 17i 
publicition tria weekly 666, 
Intelligencer 133, publiC;ition 
day altered 399, Itifjepend nt 
and Gazette 274, Patriot 310, 
Times 399. Leeds and Yorkshr. 
daily expre-^s 66G, Leeds and 
West-riding express 705. 

Co'-por itioH and oca' I'D^-iimt — 
Charters Cha<. Ist 65, (..hns. II 

92. do. restoreii 104, .Inme" il 
103. Old corporation — cook to 

93, on sabbath breaking 93 re- 
df>einin? son of a townsman 1 02 
mace I07. 121, assistant fined 
108, penalty for not wenring 
gowns 109, grant for a treat 1 10, 
1 12, treatng. stopped 1 IS.addrs. 
to Queen Anne 1 15, curious 
election ceremonie." o\' mayor, 
and basiness of the .\ear 139, 
145. 146, purchase of pews in 
churche.s 132, jnayors* rp-'u.sal 
to accept office 142, on monopo- 



762 IN 

{Leeds continued) 

lies 179, subsfiriptii. for defence 
of kingdom 1 90, grant tovvards 
tithe commutation 306, enquiry 
as to old corporation 409, last 
members 427, municipal reform 
400, act passed 433, chancery 
suit between new and old cor- 
])oration 469, dispute between 
council and justices5S7, council 
on post ollice reform &c. 492, 
refusal to mend parish church 
clock 49.>, resolutions to apply 
for power to sell gas 625, Lord 
mayors' banquet to corporation 
649, corporaticm's banquet to 
lord mayor 658, council paying 
for flags &c, out of their own 
pockets 661, resolution to wear 
robes on public occasions 74H, 
Mayors and other otlicers dow-i 
to passing of municipal reform 
act 428, first mayor after act 
jiassed 435, mayors' objection to 
attend parish churcli 440, pre- 
sentation of gold chain to Geo. 
Goodman 694, salary to mayor 
713. Aldermen 435, 458, 4*62, 
478, 487, 504, 512, 529, 609, 
642 685, 707. Councillors &c. 
contested elections 434, and on 
1st of Nov, every year from 
1835. Public oificers appointed 
437,669 Recorder 112, 214, 
399, 429, 443, 461. Towri- 
clerk 133, 430, 494. Borough 
treasurer 663, 707- Justice of 
peace 437, 572. 677. Board of 
Guanliaris 51'^, for elections 
see April, every j-ear after 
1844, inquiry into disputed 
elections 611, 624 ; inquiry into 
frauds of proxy voting papers 
700. 
Vuilic meetiiiss, &c. — Corn laws 
463, 487, 499, 503, 513, 526, 
530, celebration of passing of 
act, 531 608. Education 462, 
536,5«7,C3] Fuctniy question I 
383, 384, 50.f, .'1-7, 533. Par- ; 
liin\entary reiurni 370, 372, , 



(Leeds cuntinued.) 

373, 376, 386, 390, 418, 559, 
575, 599, 732, 734. Parish 
church affairs 405, 417. I^oor 
relief of .375, 383, 446, 480, 
482, 537. Slavery abolition of 
367, -'^97, 401, 495. Temper- 
ance 487, 495, 548, 629, 650. 
Miscellaneous meetings 375, 
399, 418, 577, 586, .597, 658, 
662,664,666,676,707. 

ParHamentary elections — Propo- 
sal toenfraiichiseLeeds,293,359 
Kepreseutatives. — During the 
Coinmonweahh, 64, 81. Elec- 
tions— Mar.sh all and Maoaulay 
392; Baines vice Macaulay, 
416- Beckett and Baines, 422 ; 
Baines and Molesworth, 447; 
Beckett and Aid im 469 ; Beck- 
ett and Marshall, 546; Good- 
man and B.iines, 612; M. T. 
Baines re-elected, 623, 674 j 
Baines and Hall, (fall of hust- 
ings,) 692 ; Beecroft vice Hall, 
697; Bailie's and Reecrott, 735 

Leigh, Dr. of Halifax, 155 

Libel action of Gough v. Lees, 710 

Lightning curious, effect of 165, 
166,231,427 

Lindsay, Dd., fortunate heir, 341 

Linsley, Joseph, 245 

Linley top colliery explosion, 402 

Liverpool and Manchester Rail- 
way, 354, 356 

Livingstone, Dr. at Leeds, 701 

Lloyd, colonel 338 ; tesmid.to, 182 

Lockvvood Sp:;i, 336 

Locomotives, 165, 203, 232, 354 

London, founded 3, first lighted 
with ianterns,39, plague at, 58, 
65, 95 : great fire, 13, 95, 181 ; 
St. Pauls. 100; great storm 110; 
440; no popery riot, 158; fog, 
322, great strike at, 599 

Longevity, instances of, 43, 54, 56, 
95, 122, 134, 141, 150, 172, 187, 
216, 322, .354, 331, 339, 340, 
343, 374, 397. 403, 417, 501, 
521,58-, 628 

LoDgelybishp. endwmnt fnd., ^■^'^J 



763 



Lotteries at Leeds, o^S ; singular 

result of a lottery, 527 
LouisXVL, trial of, 178 _ 
Lovt-rs, suicide of, r)34, r>37 
Low- moor iron works, 167 ; strike 
at, 494 ; Low- moor church, yd., 
curious epitaph in, 308 
Low Dins worth, murder at, 513 
Lowther, Sir W., 1 1 ] ; Sir Jn. 503 
Lucknow, fall of, 709 
Luddite riots, 234 to 240 
Lundhill colliery explosion, C91 
MAC AULA Y, Lord, 749 
Machinery, progress of, 200 ; de- 
struction of, 188 
Magna Charta signed, 24 
Magnetic needle, discovery of, 23 
Mail hags, exectn for sting., 2S5 
Manchester, distnrhance at, 264 ; 
massacre (Peterloo) 279; great 
tire at, 502 ; Manchester and 
Leeds Railway, 461; opening 
of a great art treasures exhibi- 
tion, 694 
Manningham hall struck hy 

lightning, 291 
Mann, John, forgery hy 70S 
Marriage, double, 331 
Marshall, John, 516 ; bust of, 534 
Marshall, James, lieutenant 68th 

light infantry, 738 
M artin, Jonathan, the incndry 342 
Mary Queen of Scots, insurrection 

in favour of, 54 
Masboro,' 163 ; aping acdnt at 4^2 
Mason, William, the poet, 191 
M atrimonial hoax, 618 
Maud, Thomas 190 : Maud, John 
donation to Leeds infirmry, 599 
M'Clure, captain, parliamentary 
' vote to, 666 
Meanwood chrch, 579 
Meltham, religious conten. ar, 344 
MetcaUi?, John, (blind Jack of 

Knaieshro,') 226 
Methodist, New Connexion, 1S9 
Primitive Methodists, origin of 
224 ; accident to at Keighley 
291 ; fatal coach accident to 
preachers 301 ; .^icbismin Meth- 
. odi'^r s jriety. (fly sheets,) 578 



! Methley,curious phenomena at 561 

: Middleton colliery explosion, 316 

'' Military reviews, 179. 208 

Militia, l.st West York embd. 180 

Militia act, 206 ; ballotinj? '^15 

Mdler, Dr. 172 

Milner, John, B D. ; 110; Revd. 
Jo.seph, 189: Isaac. D.D., 285^ 
Charles, 443 
Mirfield, singular cauve of its 
separation from Dewsbury, 26 
M irfield, hrble. triple mrdr. a*t 53S 
Mixenden moor, discovery of an- 
tiquities on, 159 
Molesworth, Sir \Y., 670 
Monasteries, suppres:^ion of, 4/ 
Monetary panic, 549, 700 
Montgomery, James, 647 
Moortown, bequest to poor of 137 
Moors (Yorkshire) on Siv 144, 328 
Morgan, Eev. T. of Morlej-,' 194 
Morgan, Thomas, of Leeds, 643 
Morley, Scottish army at, 31 ; 
customs at, in the ISth century, 
135;fassil nuts di^-?overed at, 
316; Morley tunnel. 526 
Morpeth, Lord, V\'est RiJin? ad- 
dress to. 492 
; Morritt. J. B. Esq.,liokely pk. 494 

M oscow destroyed by fire, 233 
! Mount Tabor, murder at 492 
Mummy .at Phlsslcl. hll.275, 336 
Municipal corporation (enquiry) 

409 ; acts, 42/, 433, 747 
!iIurn(y,Matthev.-, 323 
., Musgrave, James, of Leed.s, 504 
Murray, Lindl^v 323 
XAPOLEON 1st. made emperor, 
211; famous decree of, '215; 
death, of, 291 
, XapoL^on, Louis atternpted revo- 
liUion by 439, 468; escape 
from Ham, 529; made member 
of natonl. a.ssembly, 55S ; made 
i president, 571 ; coup d' etat by 
i 598 ; mavriage, 625 ; vi.sit to 
\ Queen Victoria, 664; imperial 
princr born, 6/6 : made emperor 
619 : attempt on life, 7O6 
Natioml land company, 516 
Naval engagoment.v- iSS; Nilc^ 



764 IN] 

193; Copenhagen, 203 J Trafal- 

gar, 2 2 
NavvifSj riot by, at Mars(len,57o 
Nay lor, James, of East Ardsley 9 1 
Needles first made, 48 
Nelson, Lord, funeral of, 215 
Nes.^e, Revd.C, of Leeds, 111 
Nevill, Gervas of Holbeck 100 
Newcstle.and Darlngtn Rlwy.oOS 
Newspaper, first English 5/, 94 ; 

stamp duty repealed 666 
Nevvton, Dr. Wesleyan 648 
New York, great fire at, 437, ^21 
Nicholson, James, robbery of 284 

death of 4 40 
Nicholson, Margaret 339 
Nicholson, John, Airdle poet, 489 
Nicholas, grand duke of Russia at 

Lee<l.s, 25H ; Nicholas, emperor, 

death of 66 ? 
Nicholls, Charlotte, better known 

a.s Currer Bell, 663 
Nicoll, Rol>ert, the poet, 452 
Norman conquest, !4 
Norman ton church appropriated 

to St John of Jerusalem, 39 
Northumberland, fir^t king of 8 
Norton, Richard, suicide of and 

refusal to bury, 372 
OCEAN penny p'itge lee on 600 \ 
O'Cdfiner, Fergus imprisoned 467 

Hnvm :e cotiduct, 611 lunacy, 628; | 

df^ath nf (if)7 1 

O'Connel, Daniel trial of, 499; i 

d^-ir.> of. 5tl 
Odd Fellows Gala, (Leeds) 509 
Oliver, the spy 261 
Oratorio, the first composed by 

a Y :rk>-hirem n 541 
Organic remains, dis(^overy of 344 
Orsini, Felice, lee. at Leeds, r84 
0«sett cloth makers in 1734, 122 
Ossett and Gawthorpe exempt 

fr..in Wii'-efi''5H o'«'. '2b7 
Otl -y, convent of Esholt at 46 
Otiey, fire at, 18-2; mr. at 587-661 
Oulion, St. John's church at 335 
Cusp, hoiit accident on 364,412 
Ovenden. lliingworth chch. at 46 
Owen, Robert, 732 
PAHR, Thomas, (old parr) 43 
Palftievf^ton ministry defeated, 707 



Paris, entry of allies into, 244; 

fall of, 246 ; civil war in, 559 
Parkgate, murder at 544 
Parkmson, Bethel, murder of 706 
Parliament houses des. by fire, 421 
Parsons, the Rev, Edward, 405 
Patriotic funej, 208 
Paynn, Wra. 380 ; Dr. 409 
Pease, J. admisn. to hse.com. 398 
Pease, Thomas Ben!!*on, 529 
Peace between allies and Rus.^6 

rejoicing, 678, 680 
Pedestrian feats, 153, 175, 223 

•2%, 405. 4-6 19H :-Jn 
Peel, Sir R fatal accident to 588 
Leeds m'lnume-it to, ."iBO ; inaagera- 
tion iud rteseripti'sn of 6i5 
Penny postage act, 462, 465 
Percival, Mr. murler of 234 
Pererboro, terrible fin* nt 424 
Philip,Louis death of 589 
Pickard, R. H. burial of 555 
Pickett, Mr. of York, 184 
Pigs, extraordinary, 323, 341, 357 
Pins, act as to .sale of 48 
Pitt, William, 213 
Pivett, Chri-stopher, 186 
Plague, :-/, 58,' 65, 67, 81, 95 
Plint, Thomas, nf Leeds, 706 
Pontetract, Peter of 24 ; Castle, 
first :* d second sttjiee, &•!: thud seif^a 
iind CiifiitniHt OT!, 85, sur>p'>sed dis- 
covery of t*'e rem-iivts of the Earl of 
Lane ster, "295 ; Ut,'h:ed with gas. 3W 
PopeVi bull, 590 

Potter, Rov. Jno. 131 ; Sir T. 514 
Predam, Samuel, of Leeds, 201 
Press gangs, 157^ 161 
Price, Dr. Ricbard, J 75 
Priestley, Dr. Joseph 209 
Printing, invention of. 40 
Prisoner 43 yrs (Leed'< men), 673 
Pudsey new church, 291 
R 'VCi':S,ceibtd. 209.213,226.636 
Radcl.fie, John,M.D. 116 
R;^glan, Lord, death of, 666 
Rai'way mania. 518; ar-cident^ 
522 6".l, 549, 629 . -btap 'ares, 689 
Ramsden, Jesse, 200 
Rawden, Sir George, 103; Baptist 

colleKf, 7 5 
RawmMr.sl: collit^ry explosion 598 
Ra wson, B-)jaml;i of Bra'lW. 504 



ReJpath, frauds by 686 

Reform agitation, &c., 164, 280 

298. 359, 387, 385, 391 
Richard II. at Leeds castle, and 

mnrder at P >ntefract, 37 
Richardson, James, laudable con- 
duct of 592 
Ripon destroyed by fire 13. 

30, during civil wars 77, St. 

Wilfrid's chrch, steeple blown 

down Oi, Uipon diocese 439, 

horn blower 52>^, Earl of 733, 

Dean of (Krskine; 7-42 
Eippondou flood 119, chapel 

bells d-^ 
Robin<^on Thos, 243, The Hon, 

F. W. 370 
Robin Hood, 35, colliery ex, 456 
Rogers, the Rev. Tho*. 3S5 
Roman antiquities 07 1 10, I 12, 

117, li>, 124, 126. 137. 12>^. 

149, 151, 154, 159. 10.2. 1S8, 

213. 341, 304,31.0,573 
Romald's moor, wise Kobin of 

171, boy lost on 573 
Ross Captain return of 407 
Rosses telestjope 511 
Rotherhara college founded 43, 

murder near 730 
Rothery, W. tiiystrs. dth. of 407 
Roth well colliery explosion 188, 

psning.at35-', strikes 500,503 
Ronudhav. St. John's church 

314, murder at 743 
Eus^jell. lord Wm, mrdr. of 400 
SAD DLK WORTH, tradition 88 

dinner to aged people of 53 1 
Saddler, M. l". dinner t) 394, 

statue «.f 436 
Saltair.; works 039 t.vstimoniul 

to Titus Silt Gn3 
Sandal castle, rojalty ^t 34, 41, 

bequest to c'iurch'44 
Saundnrsoii. Dr. 133 
Savillt,. Sir Ju ,-. 4x.66 Sir Geo- 

90. 170 
Saxon influeu'^e 6, 7,expld.from 

York s, antiqnitit-s 121, 360 
Saxton Ptter and Chr. H7 
Scatcherd, Xorris<jsi on old cus- 



toms &c. 135, 105. 106, 377, 
383, 414, death 635 

Schroeder, Henry 635 

Scottish arra\ payt. of 85 

Scoresbv, Rev. Dr. 691 

Scott. Rev. Jas. 163, Rev. Wal- 
ter 729 

Sc ba^topol Ho. Cora, report -a 
665 trblefghtng 605. fall otG67 

Shackleton. Jonathan 531 

Sharp. William 409 

Shaw. J. H dinner to 623, Guth- 
bert 152 

SheiSold cutlers incorporation 
65, castle rdced. 80, no's 173, 
storm 204, stoppage of old 
bank 488. distress 488, athe- 
nium 548, explosion ot fire- 
works 707, panic in Surrey 
Music-hall 729 

Sherburn, battle of 83 

Sheepshanks, Wra. 127 

Sheep stealing, exon. for 384 

Shipley, boiler explosion 32^, 
power looms destryd. 295, St, 
Paul's church 305 

Shipwrecks, ocean monarch 567, 
amazon 599. tayleur 645, 
Toyal charter 747 

Shops early closing 635 

Shrewsbury, catastrophe at 69S 

Simpson, Rev. Dd. 194 

Sinclair, Rev. W . ap[>oiuted ta 
lectory of Pulbrough 6b6, tes- 
timonial to 090 

Skiptnn. castle 17, 90. lisld. bk. 
at 08, Pet\t's bequest to 11 1, 
fire 370 first soiree Mec. Inst. 
574, par. ch. st. by lightg. 033 

Slavery abolition 153. 210, 405, 
419,457 

Sleep, long 329, walker 425 

Smeaion, John F.R.S. 120. 

Smith Dr. J.P. 093, Wm. 592, 
Rev. Thos. 634 

Snow stms. 98. 441.0 26.62^,044 

South sea bubble 118, Leeds 
victim of 146 

Southowram. St. Ann's chapel 
257, petrified horns fud. 339 



766 i: 

Sowerby bridge, chapel 48, cb. 
144, town-hall opened 70 1, 
raihvay accident 549 
Spinning wheel invented 46 
Springs in Leeds 121 
Squire, Jno. tho dflcator. 266 
Stanley John, the bigatnist 367 
Stantield-hall, murder 57 1 
Stead, Rd. of Leeds 698 
Stephenson, Geo. locomotives 

3UMife565 
Stocks, Capt. banquet to 673 
Stokes, Ml. murder by 5.')3 
Stoor. Jervas of Leeds 21 1 
Stowe, H. a visit to Leeds 633 
Strength, feat of 497 
Stuarts, attmptd. restoratn, 130 
Sturge, Juseidi 736 
Sunderland family 138 
Surr. B. cruelty to 277 
Survey gardens, Lond. panic P83 
Sydney, Thos. made Ld. mayor 
ot London 640. banquet to 
Leeds corporation 64:), ban- 
quet to lord major 658, 
Table turning mania 031 
Talfourd, Justice death of 646 
Taylor. Jo. of Leeds 553 
Tea adulteration 498 
Templenowsam, lire at 67, 
Kniglit's Templars 18. 21, 
poaching affray 643 
Tennnnt, Thos. robbery of 397, 

tablet to 412 
Terry, Geo. dllcations. by 736 
TcHimoniaU to — Alcock 510, 
Andrew 508, Bedford 659. 
Beeorolt 66s, Bischoff, 645, 
Bissington 684, Burton 712, 
Oarbutt 7o7, Cardigan 6H2, 
Eddison, 39 's Flood, 401, 
Garlick, 651, Gaunt, 395, 
Grauhan 737, Hamilton 494, 
Hill, 530, Hudswell 674. 
.lohnson 521, Kitson '514, 
Lapage ;'36, Lee 511, and me- 
morial window 702, Marcus, 
514, Marsh 521, Pearson 662, 
Richardson 395, Roebuck 682 
Scales 534 and 584, Sinclair 



690, Snowden 673, Spark 603 
Sturgeon 584, Tottie 373, 
Traice 658 Upton 439, Wardle 
704, Wesley, Dr: 576, Wick- 
steed 650 
Thackrsh, C T. 401 

robbery of 704, T. B. death of 
733 
Thames tunl. 321. hvy. tide 3:57 
Thompson. Rev. Peter 213, Fk. 
Thoresby, R. 90. histry. 1 16, '2h9 
'i'hornhill, pnfl. occurce. at 400, 
Thorp, Dr. of Leeds 577 
Thresh. Abrm. killed by his 

master 616 
Tickhill castle taken HO 
Tillotson, Archbishop 105 
I'itley, Anthony of Leeds 516 
Tobacco plant 46. 103, adultera- 
tion of 575 
Tong lads, versus lads of Brad- 
ford 533 
Travelling, quick case of 58, iu 

coaching days 1 10, 149. 1.56 
Turner, Alex, of Leeds 257 
Turpin, Dick 124 
UNDERCLIFFE college 367 
VACCINE innoculatn. 205,207 
Vane, Sir Henry beheaded 93 
Victoria proclaimed 446, coro- 
nation 456. marriage 463,465 
attempt on life 467, 482, 588, 
marriage portion to prmcess 
royal f^94, marriage of 706 
Volunteers 180, 1-^7, 204. 2()« 
WADDINGTON, widows hos- 
pital at 109 
Wadsworth near Halifax, awful 

murder at 706 
Wages (i3fi!) 36 
Wakefield church 31, bells 157, 
266 spire restored 1 17. do. 
repaired &c. 300, grant to 
chapel of St. Mary 36 Wakd. 
green, battle of 42, grammar 
school 57, the manor of 66, 
taken by Fairfax 74, registry 
formed f^8, ancient statues 
found 139, sheep and cattle 
fair 145, pauper luntc. asyluia 



2(39, Roman antiquities found 
2tn, first ligbted with gas 299 
soke cause 323, parliamentary 
elections 3ui, 422, 547, (J93, 
bog pit colliery explosion 440, 
election riot 447, den>»e fog 
5U. suicide of lovors 534, in- 
corporated 554, extraordinary' 
penance case 589, murder at 
bv DobsoD 0<?5 
Walcherin expedition 21o 
"Walker. Joshua 2''5, Kev. Geo. 

iiO:), Thomas 405 
War events ( 1854) (152 
"Wai-e, Heid Joseph o(Jl 
Washington Genl. death of 194 
Wat Tyler, insun-ccn. under 36 
Waicrhouse Natl, of Halifax 83 
Watt Jas 2^'l. invention^ 155 
Water-spout 256 
Watson. Rev. Richard 397 
Weights &: measures act 4121 
Wellington, Duke state funl 621 
Wether' y battle of 71, sold in 

lots 315 

Wentworth house rejoicings 170 

216, 420, excursion to frora 

Leeds, & fatal accident 531 

Wfslev, John, his pi'eaching&e, 

Va, 1-^8, 141, 142, life 173 
Wesleyan conferences at Leeds 
13'), 150, 175, 189, 5-21, (i(-)6, 
association founded 335 
West, William of Leeds 590 
West-iiding registrar, election 
of 487. (for parliamentary 
elections see Yorkshire) 
Wharnclifle, Baron 3'28. 524: 670 
Whartedale viaduct 528 
Wlieat, price of 184, 185, 195. 
J 98, 199,201, 203. 458, 4G3, 
487. forestalhng 198 
Whitaker, Dr. 259 
Whitku*!; murder at 2 13. curious 
entiies in church register 96 
Whitehead, Wrn. of Leeds 705 
Whiteley, Rev. Joseph 256 
Wilberforce, 404, monument to 

406,419 
WiikP, John J5-3, 190 



ex. 767 

William the conqueror 14 
William IVth proclaimed 361, 

coronation 380, death 446 
Wilkinson, John of Hunslet 676 
Williamson. James, M.D. 524 
Wilson, Bon. 143, Richard 

Fountayne 545 
Witchcraft executions for 58,62 
Wolfe, last killed at Leeds 28 
Wombwell. Sir Geo. 662 
Wool, price of 28, 175. duty 34, 
35, laws affecting woollen trade 
37,51,58.04,87,91,10^122 
156, 162, lOr 
Wortley school endowed 100, 
chapel of 165, 242, small pox 
at 456, Wortley (new) Zion 
school 435, explosn. at Monk 
bridge forge 686, do. Bapty's 
works 585, St. John's ch. 614, 
supposed child murder 736 
Wolsey, cardinal 45, 46 
Wooley park fire at 213 
Wood, Rev. Wni. 220. Sir Geo. 

311, George Wm. 497 
Woodhouse nr. Hudfld. fire 369 
Woodbouse cemetery 426, Wes- 
leyan chapel at 406 
Woodchurch, fall of 877 
Wright. Rev. Thos. I i 2, Wright 

Griffith 533 
Wycliffe, John 31 
YARMOUTH terble. catastroi). 

at 816 
Yeadon.rehgious uisturbe. 600 
York, origin 2, seat of Roman 
Emperors 4, in time cf Sax- 
ons and Danes 6, cathedral 
8, destryd. 9, rebuilt 10 north 
transept built 26, do. nave 27, 
choir do. 3G, 366, glazed 34, 
39, destroyed by fire 342, 467, 
Archbishops 10, 13, .4, 17, 19 

20, 26, 35, 37, 38, 44, 94. 217, 
551, library founded 10, St, 
Wa'-y's abbey 17, 333, manor 
house 334, first parliament at 

2 1 , 2*^, great fire 18, 105, regis- 
ter begins 24, Edward HI 
army at 32, Brabant weavers 



768 



settled at 84, 35, plague 37, 
104, corpus chrisd 41. 56» Ed- 
ward IVth's grant to citizens 
-13, first printing press at 45 
eh urrhes confiscated and in- 
surrectn. 47, privilege to make 
coverlets 48, earthquake 55, 
prison on Ouse hdge. 55, siege 
of 77, 79. fire at Clifford's 
tower 103, catholic lord mayor 
ami aldermen 104, "mint at 107 
cii 'le 3-ebuilt 109, jailor ap- 
]\ hUed 6-25, county hall 156, 
riots 1^0. hurricane 144, lu 
'•atic asylum 153, 157, fire at 
2-1 J.York emanuel 10 1 judges' 
U. 'gings 215. cordwainers co 
di-isolved 22\ civic banquet 
.M)0, antiquities discovrl. 149, 
J5', 21/, 217, 242 216, 269, 



341, 391, 555. York and Lan 
caster houses, confiict betwa. 
41, united 44 
Yorkshire ravaged by king of 
Mercia 9, earthquake 134, 
storms 327, 424, 457, f'SO, 
coiners and clippers 149, 150, 
philosophical society 298, 332 
musical festivals 303, 430, 
Union of Mech. Inst, founded 
451, soirees 542,559,650, 712 
stoppage of Yks. commercial 
bank 487 parramentarv elec- 
tions 112. 120, 122, 127, 131, 
132, 142, 161, 164, 16.\ 172, 
1^6,215,216, 234. 269, 283, 
(four members) 327, 362, 309 
373, West riding 394, 426, 
447, 470. 526, 531 547, 57 1, 
612, 693, 734, 735. 



ILLUSTRATIONS. 



PAGE. 

k ^i] \r\s\er {frontispiece) 
ks.all Abbey __ _- 19 

^ Hall _- -- -- 112 
\ of l.eed« __ __ _- 116 

,oninl830 >. ._ 632 



Huddersfield, __ __ 
Parish church _ _ _ - 
Town-halL_ __ >_ 
Crimean monument- - 



FAQE. 

-- 377 

.. 476 

__ 724 
-- 737 



J. JOHNSON, PRINTEB, ROTATION OFFICE YAFvD, LEEDS. 



RJL'II 



